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After making a name for himself in ROH and other promotions, CM Punk signed with WWE in 2005. He then spent about a year in developmental before making his debut on WWE's third brand at the time, ECW. The 43-year-old had a six-year run on the main roster, during which he won several titles, including multiple world championships.
While working in the Stamford-based promotion, CM Punk got romantically involved with a few of his co-workers. Rumors also linked him to a few others. The Best in the World is even currently married to a former WWE Superstar.
Here are six WWE women CM Punk was romantically linked with in real life.
#6. Mickie James
Before joining WWE, CM Punk and Mickie James worked together in ROH and IMPACT Wrestling (fka TNA). In 2003, rumors suggested that the two had a brief romantic relationship. That same year, James signed with WWE. Punk, meanwhile, joined the Stamford-based company two years later.
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In an interview on the Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw podcast, James disclosed that WWE initially planned for her and Punk to debut together on Sunday Night Heat. However, Triple H later scrapped these plans.
"I was supposed to debut before and it was with CM Punk as his manager on Sunday [Night Heat]. I was so devastated at that moment when Hunter came back and said, 'I like both you guys. I just don't see it together.' They filled that spot with some replays of something else that happened on RAW with Rhyno or something," she said. (H/T: WrestleTalk)
Over the years, the two wrestlers appeared in several photos together, in which they looked to have a close bond. Despite this, neither of them ever confirmed their rumored relationship. Today, they are seemingly still on good terms. Upon his return to wrestling last year, James praised Punk and expressed her happiness at seeing him back inside the ring.
#5. Maria Kanellis
After participating in the 2004 Diva Search competition, Maria Kanellis joined WWE. About a year later, the 40-year-old started dating her fellow superstar CM Punk.
In an interview with Highspots Wrestling Network, Kanellis disclosed that she first saw Punk in a rental car facility while she was with Mickie James.
"I had my eye on him from like, he came to a show one time, I think we were in Arizona or something, and I seen him. And there he was in the rental car facility, and I look across, and I'm riding with Mickie at the time, and I'm like, 'oh my God!" And she's like, 'what?' And I'm like, 'that's the man I'm gonna marry,'" she said. (1:44 - 2:01)
However, the couple never married. After dating for about two years, Punk and Kanellis reportedly broke up in 2007.
In the same interview with Highspots Wrestling Network, the former 24/7 Champion stated that being on a different show than her boyfriend led to the end of their romance.
"Hardest part for us was we were never together because he was on ECW, I was on RAW, so we never saw each other, maybe one day a week. We just fell apart, it was horrible. I was crazy but I understand why (laughs). I was a psycho when it came to that relationship," she added. (2:02 - 2:21)
Kanellis is currently married to IMPACT Wrestling star Mike Bennett. The couple now have two children together.
#4. Kelly Kelly
Kelly Kelly worked in WWE for six years, between 2006 and 2012. During her tenure in the Stamford-based company, the 35-year-old reportedly dated some of her co-workers, including Test and Batista.
Rumors also suggested that she had a brief romance with CM Punk while they were both in ECW between 2006 and 2008. In her interview with Highspots Wrestling Network, Punk's ex-girlfriend Maria Kanellis revealed that she gave Kelly a hard time after hearing these rumors.
"I gave Kelly a hard time for a long time because I got told that she had situations, no, like she had incidents with him. And I don't know if it was true or whatever. Since then, I've dropped it, like who cares now?" Kanellis said. (2:46 - 3:01)
Neither Punk nor Kelly ever confirmed these rumors. The former Divas Champion is currently married to bodybuilder Joe Coba.
#3. WWE Hall of Famer Lita
During her run in WWE, Lita dated a few of her co-workers. The former Women's Champion had a six-year relationship with Matt Hardy. Their romance, however, ended after Hardy discovered that Lita was having an affair with fellow superstar Edge.
After her breakup with Hardy, Lita and Edge dated for a while before splitting and going their separate ways.
In 2009, CM Punk started dating Lita. By the time the two became an item, Lita was retired. However, she continued to attend WWE shows in support of her boyfriend.
The couple's relationship, however, did not last long. Punk and Lita eventually broke up in 2010.
About two years later, the couple actually got back together. They even attended the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony together. Nevertheless, their romance ended again in 2013.
#2. WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix
After he and Lita split in 2010, CM Punk had a brief romance with WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix. The couple reportedly started dating in October 2011. However, their relationship did not last more than two months, as they broke up in December of that same year.
After the couple split, Punk made a few controversial comments on Holberg's Morning Circus radio show.
"I just ended a relationship… No, it doesn’t hurt at all. It pisses me off to watch people you love and admire become complete douche-bags… People just flake… I realized that it doesn't matter who it was, as long as someone was her boyfriend," he said. (H/T: EWrestlingNews)
After she and Punk split, Beth Phoenix entered a romantic relationship with fellow WWE Superstar Edge. The couple are now married and have two children together.
#1. AJ Lee
Before they started dating, CM Punk and AJ Lee (AJ Mendez) had a close bond. The two also became an on-screen couple and had their first-ever kiss on television before they even became an item in real life.
In her book "Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules," Lee disclosed that despite having feelings for each other, she and Punk did not start dating until two years after their first kiss on television in 2012.
"For the next two years, we went on dating other people, supporting those relationships while not realizing what we really wanted, being a mentor and student, and acting like brother and sister. I think we both saw a possible forever in the other and ran screaming in the opposite direction. But after living in denial, fighting all the time, my character proposing to his and then agreeing to marry someone else, and after two years of the world's most bizarre foreplay, one day Phil and I just said 'f*** it,' and we jumped headfirst into a serious relationship," she wrote.
Punk and Lee dated for only a few months before tying the knot on June 13, 2014. On that same day, WWE fired the former World Heavyweight Champion. Less than a year later, Lee also quit and retired from professional wrestling.
Also, check out Highs and Lows of CM Punk | UFC disaster, dominating 434 days as WWE Champion & more
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