CM Punk Praises WWE NXT as “Disney World for Athletes” While Mentoring Future WWE Stars

CM Punk recently joined O’Shea Jackson’s “No Contest Wrestling” podcast, sharing insights into his experience working with younger talent at WWE’s Performance Center, his role as a mentor, and his early days learning from Paul Heyman.

Currently on a break from WWE TV, Punk is expected to return in time for Survivor Series this November. In the meantime, he’s been keeping busy at the Performance Center in Orlando, working with the up-and-coming NXT stars. According to Punk, the facility is like an athlete’s paradise.

Punk was full of praise for the setup at NXT, likening it to a well-oiled college sports system. He highlighted the state-of-the-art facilities that make it possible for wrestlers to train and recover like top-tier athletes.

“NXT, the way it’s set up, is just like a college sports program. They have everything in-house. I walk in there and everybody is happy to see me. I’m happy to be there and see them. They’ve got six rings. They got PT, massage, like everything you can possibly have,” Punk shared.

Advertising

Advertising

He added that the environment in NXT is exactly what he had envisioned for the next generation of talent. “To me, it’s Disney World for an athlete… It’s the Fountain of Youth because I walk down there and I’m just like, this is great. I’m Wilford Brimley from Cocoon. I want to get in the pool, you know, I feel young again.”

Punk is also motivated by the younger talent’s enthusiasm, stating that he doesn’t want to be the “old guy shaking a stick.” Instead, he’s embracing the progress and passion of the athletes: “This is what I wanted. This is what we should have had, and now that it’s here, I ain’t penalizing anybody for it.”

Punk also reflected on his early days in wrestling, particularly his time in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under the mentorship of Paul Heyman. He credited Heyman for teaching him how to structure and write wrestling shows, giving him an inside look at how the business works behind the scenes.

“Heyman would fly into Louisville at 9 or 10 PM on a Tuesday. I would pick him up at the airport. We went right to the Davis Arena and I would either watch him just write TV and format it… He’s like, ‘What do you think of this idea? What would you do?’ The next thing I know, that’s on the television show.”

Punk learned valuable lessons from Heyman, including how to format and time out a show, which he used throughout his career. However, being a “Paul Heyman guy” in the wrestling world came with its own challenges, as it created tension with others in the industry.

“Me becoming a Paul Heyman guy was more of a scarlet letter on me than anything else. It was just like, ‘Yeah, we don’t like Punk. Oh, Heyman likes him? Now we hate him.’”

As Punk gears up for his return to WWE programming, fans are eager to see how he continues to contribute both inside and outside the ring. His passion for the business and commitment to helping the younger generation shows that Punk’s influence in WWE is far from over.