CM Punk is not putting himself in the same category as Michael Jordan, but that won’t stop him from enjoying all of the Chicago-themed hype and parallels surrounding his return to wrestling.
CM Punk was on SportsNation on Tuesday and was asked by Charly Arnolt (Charly Caruso) about the comparisons his return got to Michael Jordan’s own career. Punk’s return took place at the United Center (home of the Bulls) and the event was called “The First Dance” (Jordan’s ESPN documentary was called The Last Dance), and Punk himself teased his return with many other nods to the Chicago Bulls along the way.
Speaking on SportsNation, Punk explained that there are some similarities, but he’s not going to make the comparison to Jordan himself. He said that’s up to people to form their own opinions, but he still loved how it all played out as a Chicago native.
“Listen, I am not going to compare myself to Michael Jordan. I was on top of the wrestling business and I left. He was on top of basketball and he left. He tried another sport and it didn’t go so well, I tried another sport and it didn’t go so well. Perfect storm, timing is everything, it came about and all of the ideas just clicked. I kinda have a sixth sense when it’s the ‘right time’ and it’s the right thing to do, and everything was just in place. I came back in the United Center, the house that Jordan built, and it was just a magical moment. So, no, I am not Michael Jordan. Am I the Michael Jordan of professional wrestling? Well, that’s up for debate,” Punk said. “But that’s what so great about it, everything is based on your perspective and it’s opinion, so we get to have fun that way. It was just—I’m a kid from Chicago, you’re telling me I’m supposed to say no to all of this ‘First Dance’ and United Center stuff? Hell no! Put my jersey in the rafters, let’s go.”
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