Drew McIntyre says CM Punk has been masquerading as a professional wrestler, as he is now an attraction.
Drew McIntyre and CM Punk have been locked in a bitter rivalry for months, and they have taken numerous heated shots at each other.
Speaking on The Masked Man Show at Fanatics Fest NYC, Drew McIntyre asked to say something nice about CM Punk. Punk, who was previously asked the same question during his interview, said McIntyre was the fourth-best wrestler to wear a kilt. (H/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful for the transcription)
“I can actually do that because I always tell the truth, and I’m not a hypocrite, unlike Punk,” Drew McIntyre said. His answer was just lazy. ‘He’s the fourth best behind the Highlanders.’ That’s not true, it’s just lazy. One nice thing about Punk; he sells a lot of t-shirts. That’s true. He’s great for merchandising. He’s a big name.
“The thing that drives me most crazy is that he goes around masquerading, calling himself a professional wrestler. That actually pisses me off to be honest. Invokes names like Harley Race, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat. Punk took nine years off. He sat on his ass and did nothing while guys like myself and the rest of the WWE roster worked their asses off 52 weeks a year, didn’t take our ball and went home. He quit the company and went and sat on his ass.”
Drew McIntyre On How He And CM Punk Are Different
Drew McIntyre then contrasted himself with CM Punk by describing how he personally handled getting fired. He also noted that he worked hard to reinvent himself, whereas Punk has been living off of nostalgia.
“I got fired. I got told, ‘Hey, you’re not good enough right now. Bugger off.’ My response wasn’t to sit on my couch,” Drew McIntyre said. “I’m going to keep wrestling and work harder than anybody in the world and reinvent myself and come back and reach the top of the WWE mountain and prove I’m the best in the world. That’s what I’ve done. I’m a pro wrestler day in and day out.
“He went away. He’s been living on the pipe bomb, living on the feud with Cena, he’s smart and maximized and became a big star. Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. He’s been gone for all this time. This legend has been created. He’s no longer a professional wrestler. He’s an attraction. There is nothing wrong with being an attraction, we need attractions, but don’t fucking say you’re a professional wrestler if you’re not a professional wrestler. I’m a professional wrestler.”
Click here to see what Drew McIntyre had to say about his world title win at WWE WrestleMania 40.
McIntyre previously discussed his rivalry with Punk. Check out his comments here.
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