Born and raised in Chicago, Phillip Brooks spent the late 1990s and early 2000s grinding through the independent scene as CM Punk, building a cult following through promotions like IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor. It was in ROH where he truly made his name — his trilogy of 60-minute draws with Samoa Joe are still spoken about in reverent tones today, and his reign as ROH World Champion cemented him as one of the best performers on the planet before WWE came calling. He signed with WWE in 2005 and debuted on the ECW brand the following year, quickly standing out as a straight-edge counterculture figure in a world full of muscle-bound entertainers. Two Money in the Bank wins and a series of world title reigns followed, but it was the summer of 2011 that turned CM Punk into a genuine phenomenon. His pipe bomb promo — delivered sitting cross-legged at the top of the entrance ramp — was one of the most electrifying moments in WWE history, and his subsequent championship reign gave WWE the shot of unpredictability it desperately needed. After walking out of WWE in 2014 following years of frustration, Punk resurfaced in AEW in 2021 to another thunderous reception, before returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 to one of the loudest pops in recent memory.