CM Punk Criticizes WWE’s Choice to Revive ‘Wrestlepalooza’ Name for ESPN PLE Debut

Ahead of his mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza, CM Punk expresses issue with 'ridiculous' PLE name for WWE's ESPN debut.

CM Punk Criticizes WWE’s Choice to Revive ‘Wrestlepalooza’ Name for ESPN PLE Debut

CM Punk and Wrestlepalooza (via WWE)

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CM Punk has never been one to hold back his opinions. His anti-establishment persona is what made him a star in 2011, when he delivered the now-iconic pipebomb promo that exposed the realities of WWE’s product at the time. While it caused friction backstage with figures like Vince McMahon and Triple H, it also propelled Punk into the main event scene alongside John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

Now, it seems ‘The Best in the World’ is once again walking that same path with his latest remarks. For context, WWE is set to counter AEW’s All Out in Canada with their Wrestlepalooza PLE, scheduled for September 20 in Indianapolis. The event will feature Punk teaming up with his returning wife, AJ Lee, in a blockbuster mixed tag match against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

Many fans have already called it the biggest mixed tag bout since Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania 34 debut. But despite the hype, Punk has one major gripe in the form of the event’s name. Speaking on Pardon My Take, the former WWE Champion didn’t mince words, calling the PLE name ‘Wrestlepalooza’ ridiculous.

Punk admitted that the term PLE is still something he is adjusting to, as he has spent his entire career referring to WWE’s major shows as pay-per-views. He pointed out that the old term is outdated, even calling it dead technology.

Yeah, it’s a big deal mainly because it’s our first PLE. I’m still trying to warm up to not saying pay-per-view. My entire life, it’s been pay-per-view. But these are premium live events because pay-per-views are a dead technology.

CM Punk via Pardon My Take

With WWE’s PLEs now streaming on ESPN as part of the company’s massive $1.6 billion deal, Punk acknowledged the significance of the move. Still, he couldn’t resist poking fun at the event name itself.

And I’ve been doing my best to not say the word Wrestlepalooza the entire time. That might actually be the first time I’ve said it. [Really? Why?] It’s a ridiculous name. Well, La La Palooza. You add ‘Wrestle’ to it, and you kind of understand what you’re getting. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

CM Punk via Pardon My Take

Of course, Punk is well aware that WWE isn’t the first promotion to use the Wrestlepalooza name, a nod to the iconic 1990s alt-rock festival Lollapalooza. Between 1995 and 2000, the now-defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling ran four events under the Wrestlepalooza banner. Only one of them, in 1998, was ever broadcast as a pay-per-view.

CM Punk weighs in on in-ring professionalism and real-life heat with some of his colleagues

As mentioned before, CM Punk’s backstage controversies have often overshadowed his in-ring career. From walking out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble to expressing booking frustrations around WrestleMania 28 and 29, drama has followed him at nearly every stage. And the issues didn’t end in Stamford.

At AEW All In 2023, Punk’s infamous altercation with Jack Perry ultimately led to his exit from Tony Khan’s company. When he returned to WWE later that year at Survivor Series 2023, questions immediately resurfaced about his attitude. Moreover, his real-life relationships with former colleagues and especially his dynamic with the now WWE CCO Triple H came into question. 

CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch
CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch (via WWE)

But in the last five years, Punk appears to have matured, something he even acknowledged in his recent appearance on Pardon My Take. He openly addressed the challenge of working with WWE stars with whom he has had personal issues.

If you’re a true professional, you don’t have to even remotely like the guy you work with. But the business is built on trust. So if someone’s gonna try to double-cross me, now that’s a whole different problem. But I work with professionals who aren’t gonna do that, because I think they do realize, if we do that, there’s gonna be some sort of a problem.

CM Punk via Pardon My Take

He even added that Punk has relationships with some wrestlers outside the ring as well. Moreover, the former WWE Champion knows that he cannot possibly keep everyone happy and has to focus on what works best.

But yeah, I’m not going out to dinner with these guys. Some of them don’t like me. Some of them, I don’t care for. And that’s the magic, that’s the line we get to weave in and out.

CM Punk via Pardon My Take

Two of Punk’s biggest rivalries since his 2023 return have been with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. Both feuds have blurred the lines between fiction and reality, as McIntyre and Rollins seem to share genuine animosity toward him, making the storytelling all the more compelling for fans. However, it seems that everything is great behind the scenes. 

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