Legendary wrestling superstar, CM Punk, who is currently signed with All-Elite Wrestling, recently made an in-ring speech in support of transgender young people, which ended up getting a huge response on social media. However, it may not have been the kind of response that he was expecting. I guess we just can’t have any entertainment at all that has not been infected with politics, particularly of a progressive strain.
“In the wrestler’s return to wrestling after an injury-induced hiatus on Saturday, he saw a sign from the crowd that read ‘Support LGBTQ+ Youth’ and invited the sign’s holder into the ring with him. He then spoke for about two minutes,” the Daily Wire reported.
“I don’t know what it feels like to be trapped in a body that I don’t feel I belong [in]. That is why I support that. Until I found pro-wrestling, and all the freaks and geeks in the locker room were just like me … Support trans kids, support for gays and lesbians,” Punk stated during his promo.
CM PUNK SAID LGBTQ+ RIGHTS. HE SAID SUPPORT TRANS PEOPLE pic.twitter.com/LUj9zzsH4x
— abbi (@abbipaperbag) June 18, 2023
Punk was joined in the ring by popular wrestling tag team, FTR, featuring Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood. He then held up the fan’s sign and went on to note a company that sends the proceeds it brings in to “support transgender youth.”
“I reposted something for Pretty Cool Ice Cream. It was an ice cream bar that some of the proceeds, if you purchased a bar, went to support trans youth,” Punk said to the audience. “I got a lot of hate for reposting that message.”
“Somebody … on the Internet said, why do you support that trash? And I thought about replying, but you can’t argue with stupid, okay? You just both look stupid,” he added.
Punk then finished the speech by saying, “I want everybody to be themselves. Just do no harm to everybody else. Thank you. I love you.”
If people are supposed to love themselves, wouldn’t that mean learning to love and embrace who they are naturally? A person who truly loves themselves would learn to accept the body they have been given and realize who they are is not a mistake. Just pointing out the flaw in this line of logic.
The reaction to Punk’s promo was mixed, with one user on Twitter saying, “Even if you agree with him, just wrestle, entertain us. Who cares about your political view[?] [T]his is wrestling not CNN.”
This is why I don’t watch AEW. Why are they shoving this down our throats on live TV? Even if you agree with him, just wrestle, entertain us. Who cares about your political view this is wrestling not CNN. pic.twitter.com/hZSXSxDr5j
— BJ 😃 (@WWETalkTime3) June 18, 2023
“Others supported Punk’s speech, bringing up the fact that his remarks came after the live TV show concluded. Another Twitter user pointed out that WWE had pushed LGBTQ issues on wrestling fans with a picture of WWE star Finn Baylor in front of an entourage of fans wearing Pride rainbow colors,” the Daily Wire reported.
"This is why I don't watch AEW. Why are they shoving it down our throats on live TV?" 🙄 pic.twitter.com/BBnZmoHQId
— Cactus Jackhausen (@CactusJackhause) June 18, 2023
The in-ring political screed ended up causing a tiff between AEW wrestler Brody King and retired WWE Superstar Dutch Mantel. Mantel slammed Punk for dragging “political issues on a wrestling show.” He then made some references to controversies with both Bud Light and Target, both companies that have experienced massive losses as a result of their endorsements of transgenderism.
Is this a wise move…involving a political issues on a wrestling show? I guess the issue that @budlight and @target have had with the LGBTQ topic has not reached @AEW. This shot didn’t make the show but the still photo is there. Comments. @WSI_YouTube pic.twitter.com/5EIU3WvruD
— 𝔻𝕣. 𝔻𝕦𝕥𝕔𝕙 (@DirtyDMantell) June 19, 2023
King then retweeted Mantel’s post before taking the tried and true road the vast majority of progressives take and comparing the wrestler to racists and sexists, calling him an “old bag of s***.” My, what a classy gentlemen.
You probably thought it was a political issue when Black people and Women wanted equal rights too, you old bag of shit. https://t.co/ZvIJJOsPFS
— Big Bad Brody King (@Brodyxking) June 19, 2023
“Punk is arguably AEW’s biggest star, having won two AEW World Championship titles since he joined the up-and-coming wrestling company in 2021. Punk previously performed for AEW’s established competitor, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), winning several championships before parting ways with the company in 2014,” the report said.
Featured image is a screenshot taken from embedded tweet.
"*" indicates required fields
