CM Punk rose to popularity in the WWE during the company's "Ruthless Aggression Era" in the mid-2000s. Along the way to capturing the World Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental belt, and a share of the World Heavyweight Tag-Team Titles, CM Punk also gained a large amount of support for his witty microphone work and the "straight edge" lifestyle that he practiced. His famous run with the WWE ended in a messy lawsuit and a highly publicized fallout with the company's CEO, Vince McMahon, who fired the Chicago native on his wedding day. CM Punk's marriage to former WWE Diva AJ Lee only complicated matters as she chose to no longer work for Vince McMahon amid the friction.
After his unsavory exit from the WWE, CM Punk retired for several years before signing with the company's rival promotion, AEW, in 2021. On June 17th, the outspoken two-time AEW World Heavyweight Champion addressed the live audience shortly after AEW Collision went off the air with an emotional speech supporting trans kids. Although CM Punk is a known ally of the LGBTQ community, the time and place of his display seemingly left fans torn. Several commentators stood up for him on social media and applauded his bravery because kids/teens from the LGBTQ community are more prone to suicide attempts, primarily since many are victims of bullying, harassment, and assault. Contrastingly, other fans were critical of CM Punk's social stance.
Scroll up to watch CM Punk's speech.
Source: YouTube
