Ahead of his return to the ring Saturday at SummerSlam, CM Punk revealed the list of his five favorite wrestlers of all time. And it includes the man who inspired him to become a professional wrestler.
SummerSlam 2024 is finally here and one of the biggest matchups at this year’s event is the bout between bitter rivals CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. The match will also see the former AEW Champion make his return after seven months away recovering from a torn tricep.
Related: The Undertaker Reveals Why He Has Major Respect For CM Punk
In the leadup to the highly anticipated match, Punk has done the media rounds to promote the biggest WWE event of the summer. During a stop on the ESPN show “First Take” this week, the cult of personality was asked by the hosts who his top five wrestlers of all time are. And the WWE legend had some interesting answers.
Roddy Piper among CM Punk’s top five wrestlers of all time list
“This is my Top 5. It’s not cultural significance, it’s not impact, but a lot of that is honestly factored in because I think … Harley Race, Terry Funk, I think Steve Austin is the biggest superstar that this industry has ever seen, [and] I would say, Eddie Guerrero.”
That leaves one spot open. CM Punk eventually claimed WWE Hall-of-Famer Ricky Steamboat would be his last pick. Then after a few minutes, he had a sudden change of heart and realized he left off one of the most important influences in his iconic career.
“Let’s scratch off Steamboat. Sorry, Steamer, I love you,” he said. “Roddy Piper. [Why I got into wrestling is Roddy Piper. I saw him as this undersized guy that was surrounded by all these hulks and he just talked trash and I was like ‘I would like to do that. That looks like something I can do.'”
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is expected to be one of the final matches of the night at SummerSlam 2024. The Peacock exclusive event kicks off Saturday night at 7 PM ET.
