One of the most bizarre and memorable moments in WWE history, which was thought to be consigned to the archives forever, has surprisingly and delightfully resurfaced today. WWE has added to the WWE Vault on YouTube a video of The Rock calling CM Punk and getting his voicemail. This doesn't sound particularly interesting, though, does it reader? Well, follow on for why it was such a big moment in WWE history and why the company — at the time — would have wanted to bury it.
The unexpected call took place on February 20, 2017, during a segment on Monday Night Raw. After the televised portion of the show ended, The Rock — who was present to film material for the Fighting with My Family movie about Paige, which also starred Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost and Jack Lowden — stayed in the ring to entertain the live crowd. Now, at the time, CM Punk was no longer affiliated with WWE and had moved on to a career in mixed martial arts with the UFC, but the circumstances of his exit were well known, and fans would chant his name for years following the 2014 departure. This evening proved to be no exception. Wrestlers would typically ignore them, or come up with a smartass answer to it, to shut the crowd down.
The Rock is different, however. When fans began chanting Punk's name, The Rock played it up and leaned into it. He dialed CM Punk’s number in front of the audience and put it on speaker. The live crowd erupted into chants of "CM Punk!" while The Rock tried to get through to him. Punk didn’t answer, but The Rock left him a voicemail, playfully telling him that he was calling from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where fans were loudly cheering his name.
Why Was The Rock's Call to CM Punk So Controversial?
Rock’s decision to acknowledge Punk on WWE TV — especially given the real-life tensions between Punk and WWE — was a hugely shocking moment. It was not part of the scripted show, and reports later surfaced suggesting that WWE officials were unhappy with The Rock's actions. Some reports claimed that Vince McMahon and other backstage figures were upset about Punk's name being mentioned, as it drew attention to a sensitive subject for the company, particularly given that WWE's lead doctor had sued Punk over comments made in a podcast, a suit that, in fact, went Punk's way as his remarks were found to be substantially true.
Punk also later commented on the incident during a Q&A on social media. He revealed that he missed the call because he was out walking his dog, Larry, and he was in the elevator of his apartment block without signal at the time, only to see his phone blow up with messages as soon as he stepped out. Punk said that he appreciated The Rock’s gesture and found it funny, and thanked the fans for the love shown that evening.
Punk and Rock are both now once again with WWE on a regular basis, and with Vince McMahon also gone, the company seems comfortable enough to lift the lid on one of the most bizarre moments in recent memory. Stay tuned to Collider for more on WWE.
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