During an interview with Wrestling Life Online, Maria Kanellis opened up about the harsh backlash she faced from top WWE stars for dating CM Punk in the mid-2000s. At a time when independent wrestlers were heavily looked down upon, she was repeatedly told she was “dumb” for being with the rising straight-edge star. Kanellis described the criticism as a reflection of the old guard’s dismissive attitude toward indie talent.
“It used to be that indie guys were looked down upon. I was around plenty of top guys that would tell me how dumb I was for dating CM Punk when I was dating him, and it was just the start of the whole indie wrestling research not even a research but takeover of WWE and so like there was that time where Indy guys never made it into WWE and then all of a sudden they were allowed to be in WWE.” – Maria Kanellis
CM Punk’s dating history has long been intertwined with the wrestling business. In the mid-2000s, he was romantically linked to several female wrestlers, including Mickie James, Daffney, Tracy Brooks, and Maria Kanellis. Additionally, he later dated Lita for several years and was reportedly involved with Beth Phoenix. However, since 2013, Punk has been with AJ Lee, whom he married in June 2014, and the couple continues to enjoy a strong relationship today.
