CM Punk
Several wrestlers have publicly cited CM Punk as an inspiration or an influence on their careers. Seth Rollins stated that CM Punk's influence on the Chicago wrestling scene was responsible for him becoming a wrestler in the first place, while Adam Cole in an interview with Sports Illustrated said that "CM Punk has been a huge influence on me, especially on the independent scene." Australian wrestler Rhea Ripley mentioned Punk's verbal skills as something she aspired to be like, stating "As CM Punk. When he spoke, everyone listened".