CM Punk has been a controversial name in the pro wrestling industry ever since he walked out of WWE in 2014. While he did make his return to in-ring competition for AEW in 2021, he continued to find himself in controversial situations after his scuffle with The Elite following the 2022 All Out PPV.
Punk has been out of action ever since the incident, and his return has turned into a headache for AEW, and the company has even recently threatened him with legal action if he fails to comply with his contract.
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While fans are aware of Punk's troublesome relationship with both WWE and AEW, some might not know about his brief run in TNA during the early stages of his career, and even that didn't lack any controversy. With that said, let's take a look at six things fans should know about CM Punk's time in TNA.
6 His Early Appearances
CM Punk started his pro wrestling career in 1999 and began ascending the ranks by competing in IWA-Mid South and Ring of Honor. He became a 5-time IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion and a 1-time ROH World Champion.
While still competing for these promotions, CM Punk made his first appearance for TNA in September 2002 during the company's weekly PPV era.
He first teamed up with Ace Steel in a tag team elimination match and then went on to compete in the tag team gauntlet for the gold battle royal, in which Chris Harris and Brian Lee came out victorious.
5 Became Part Of Raven's Faction
After his early appearances, CM Punk became a regular for TNA in early 2003 and competed in a match against Colt Cabana on an episode of TNA Xplosion in January 2003.
Following his debut, Punk became part of Raven's faction, The Gathering, alongside Julio Dinero. Punk and Dinero continued to fight alongside Raven for a brief time before they turned on their leader.
Punk's association with Raven didn't make any sense as they were embroiled in a bitter feud in Ring of Honor at the same time, and it was one of the main reasons behind the faction breaking up in a very short time.
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Following the breakup, Punk and Dinero worked as a tag team with James Mitchell as their manager, but that didn't last long as well.
4 TNA Thought CM Punk Did Not Connect Well With The Fans As A Heel
CM Punk had some of the best moments of his entire career while portraying a heel gimmick. Punk's villainous antics earned him many accolades over the years, including multiple world championships in WWE.
However, Punk couldn't make the same kind of impact as a legitimate heel during his time in TNA between 2003 and 2004. The TNA officials felt that CM Punk and his partner Julio Dinero did not connect well with the fans as villains, and it became one of the main reasons behind their faction with Raven being short-lived and their stint as a tag team also failing.
TNA ended up taking Punk and Dinero off television due to this reason, and it eventually led to Punk leaving the company in 2004.
3 Competed In Only Two Singles Matches In TNA
As mentioned earlier, CM Punk competed mostly in the tag team division alongside his partner Julio Dinero throughout his time in TNA between 2003 and 2004.
TNA officials continued to use Punk as a tag team wrestler and didn't consider transitioning the future WWE Champion into a singles performer. It resulted in Punk competing in only two one-on-one matches throughout his stint in TNA.
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His first singles match was against Colt Cabana in January 2003, and his second was against Shane Douglas in a Clockwork Orange House Of Fun match in July 2003, in which he ended up on the losing side.
2 He Got Into A Real-Life Scuffle With Teddy Hart At The Time
Apart from failing to impress the TNA officials, CM Punk found himself in more trouble after he got involved in a real-life fight with Teddy Hart during his time with the company.
He allegedly got into a physical altercation with Teddy Hart outside a restaurant, and Sabu was the one to pull them apart. Their problems stemmed from Teddy Hart performing three unplanned spots during a Ring of Honor event, which allegedly put other wrestlers in danger of injury.
There were even rumors about TNA firing Punk over the incident, but his exit from the company was due to a different reason.
1 Quit The Company Due To Restrictions Over Competing In ROH
TNA had a working relationship with Ring of Honor during their early years, which allowed wrestlers from both companies to compete on each other's shows. However, TNA decided to cut all ties with ROH following the latter's founder Rob Feinstein landing himself in some controversy.
It resulted in TNA ordering their wrestlers not to compete in Ring of Honor shows, and CM Punk took exception to that decision. The disagreement led to Punk leaving TNA in March 2004 and returning to the indies and ROH before signing a developmental deal with WWE in 2005.
