CM Punk Trades Jabs With UFC Fighter Via Twitter, Calls Welterweight Vet ‘Boring’ And A ‘Coward’
Just how big is that proverbial chip on CM Punk’s shoulder? Despite the fact that the former wrestler has yet to fight an official bout in UFC, he seems to have the cocksure arrogance of an undefeated striker down pat — on Twitter, anyway. WrestlingINC reported that CM Punk got pretty nasty with UFC welterweight fighter Cathal Pendred Tuesday afternoon after Pendred joked about some video featuring Punk’s striking skills.
CM Punk on the pads making me look like Muhammad Ali 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/o6HQ1PNkJA
— Cathal Pendred (@Pendred) August 11, 2015
WrestlingINC re-posted the ensuing exchange in its entirety, which included a lot of profane and inflammatory language, most of which came from CM Punk. Punk initially dismissed Pendred as “boring” and suggested that his fights put UFC audiences to sleep. Although Pendred reminded Punk that he has won 17 professional fights, the former wrestler was unimpressed, ridiculing the fighter’s technique and even posting video of one of Pendred’s fights with a snarky comment.
Everybody watch out for the “Ali like” movement. http://t.co/c8tNPq9lY3
— Coach (@CMPunk) August 11, 2015
A total of 16 tweets between the men were exchanged over the course of just over an hour and even as things wound down, neither Punk nor Pendred was willing to give one another a shred of respect. CM Punk ended up falling back on his wrestling career as a coup de grace in the online spat, implicitly touting his success in WWE.
.@Pendred Make fun of my age, my skill, where I come from, but realize I’ve made more money on my per diems alone than you have in the @ufc
— Coach (@CMPunk) August 11, 2015
As for Cathal Pendred, he harangued Punk as “a sad little p**ck,” suggesting that the wrestler’s foray into UFC is just an act.
MMA Junkie noted that some of Cathal Pendred’s victories via decision have garnered criticism from fans in the past, some of whom think that the Irish-born fighter gets special consideration from time to time. CM Punk drew attention to this during the dust-up with Pendred when he suggested Cathal should focus more on himself so that he can “win a fight without a gift from the judges.”
It’s no big secret that UFC President Dana White isn’t a huge fan of the pro wrestling genre and he doesn’t particularly like it when wrestling overlaps with UFC. Indeed, Punk’s jaw jacking might be a little too much like a Monday Night Raw promo for White’s comfort. For what it’s worth, many pro wrestling fans are just fine with keeping a distance from White’s product these days, especially following White’s derogatory comments about sports entertainment.
No longer a “heel” or a “face” in the pro wrestling world, Punk is now something of a transitional figure, quick to chastise and insult without having to back things up. In Internet vernacular, CM Punk comes out looking like something of a “keyboard warrior” — at least for the time being. After all, sooner or later CM Punk will step into the octagon and give fight fans and his peers the chance to decide if he truly has what it takes to survive in UFC.
[Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images]
