CM Punk to appear on MTV reality show 'The Challenge'
If you were guessing the next time you’d CM Punk on television would be inside the Octagon, think again.
It was announced Monday that Punk (real name Phil Brooks) will participate in the MTV reality show, “The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros,” which will have professional athletes go up against past winners of MTV reality shows, “Road Rules” and “Real World” in various athletic contests. According to the press release, “The Challenge” will be based on agility, ingenuity, brawn, brains, endurance and guts.
The show begins May 16 and will be hosted by New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, with the winner receiving $50,000 for a charity of their choice. Punk’s charity is PAWS Chicago, which is a no-kill animal shelter.
Other notable athletes on the show include former NFL stars Shawne Merriman and Kamerion Wimbley, WNBA star Candice Wiggins and Olympian Lolo Jones.
The former WWE champion has stayed out of the public eye since he lost his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. While the 38-year-old has stated his intentions to fight inside the Octagon again, UFC president Dana White said nothing is in the works for the Chicago native.
That brings into question whether we’ll ever see Punk inside the cage again. When he was getting ready for the Gall fight, Punk would post pictures of himself at his home gym of Roufusport, but he hasn’t been doing that. Sources told Yahoo Sports it has been awhile since Punk has been in the gym but he has trained there since the Gall fight.
With his UFC future in serious question and his repeated stance of never going back to professional wrestling after retiring in 2014, reality TV is where we’ll see Punk for the foreseeable future.
