The trial featuring CM Punk vs Chris Amann continued in a Cook County, Illinois courtroom today, and below are notes from day four of the trial from Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt. Today’s proceedings featured CM Punk and Colt Cabana offering their testimony, and it is expected that AJ Mendez-Brooks, fka AJ Lee, will be entering testimony as well.
Today @ColtCabana and @CMPunk are expected to testify in WWE doctor defamation lawsuit. @TheAJMendez is also expected to testify but unlikely today. Good chance the trial ends Monday/Tuesday
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
I caught much of @coltcabana testimony this morning and @cmpunk. Here are key points they testified to about the podcast, how the interview came out, and their wrestling stories:
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
CM Punk took stand mid-morn. His attorney asked if there’s anything he’d change about podcast, he said he swore a lot on there and wouldn’t today. Acknowledged being bitter then and wrestling being his whole life. Lots of things on the podcast he just doesn’t care about anymore.
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Why did he do the podcast? He’d left WWE and hadn’t told his side of the story, tho the company had made statements about him, “kind of like going through a divorce.” “I just wanted to set the record straight for my fans.”
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
The podcast was meant to be his truthful story. It was “just two friends talking,” he said, referring to his longtime close friend, @ColtCabana, who said they often saw each other daily when both were in town
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Punk testified to his health from 2013-2014, said it wasn’t good: headaches, sleeplessness, dizzy, neck couldn’t support head, nausea, cranky. “I’m sure I wasn’t fun to be around.” Shortly thereafter, they went on the lunch break.
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
From Colt Cabana’s testimony: Punk texted that he wanted to do the podcast so they met at Punk’s home, likely within a couple days; it came together fast. Cabana was not surprised by anything Punk said, “I was living the situation he was going through.”
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Cabana said Punk had shown him the lump on his back while wearing camo shorts he wore “every day,” which made just about everyone laugh. The attorneys then brought out the shorts. The lump, he said, was “disgusting,” discolored and raised.
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
There was a lawyer fight between Amann and Punk reps over video of CM Punk laying after going thru table. Amann counsel didn’t want video to show Kane chokeslamming Punk thru table.
Judge: “I don’t know who Kane is.”
Click Here: new zealand blues jerseyAttorney: “The big man without a shirt.”
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Here are lighter notes from this morning’s testimony:
They went thru history of Punk’s name. He confirmed “CM” stands for Chick Magnet. Remembers first promo after hitting someone w roll of coins: “All’s I’m saying is, I’ve got a lot of cents.” Amann atty won relevance objection
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
He and Cabana became friends early despite being “polar opposites.” Cabana college educated, “I wasn’t.” Different economic brackets. But brought together by love of wrestling
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Punk explained his character saying it was heavy on straight edge — no drugs/alcohol subculture — and make no excuses for who you are. When a good guy, focuses on core good guy values, when bad guy, gets a little preachy, like call for cutting off beer sales if he wins match
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018
Oh, and at the @cmpunk @coltcabana defamation trial, a bunch of eighth graders showed up. At one point Punk surveyed the room in what looked like complete disbelief as all these children were watching trial. His attorney wouldn’t say the f word in front of the kids (quoting pod)
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) June 1, 2018