As most wrestling fans already know, the civil trial of WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann versus CM Punk and Colt Cabana began just days ago. Day four of the trial between the former WWE superstar and Dr. Amann was reportedly, at times, very dramatic, and it also produced some stunning revelations via texts between CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, and his wife, AJ Lee, real name April Jeanette Mendez. Ross Berman of WrestleZone was in attendance, and he provided detailed notes from day four of the trial.
Before CM Punk took the stand, his longtime friend, Colt Cabana (real name Scott Colton), was questioned first. Colton and Brooks have known each other for years and have traveled and wrestled together through many of them, dating back to Steel Domain Wrestling in 2000 where the pair had a series of matches. The main highlight of Colt’s testimony is that he confirmed seeing the lump on Punk’s back or buttocks, according to the report, and described it as discolored and disgusting. Reportedly, Cabana also said he never felt the podcast episode was a lie saying, “I thought it was a wild story and people deserved to hear it.”
Phil Brooks then took the stand. According to Berman’s report, Punk said the he appeared on the podcast to tell the truth to his fans on why he left the WWE. He said the Colt Cabana interview was meant to be truthful, and reportedly, Brooks said it was just two friends talking. The former WWE wrestler then said his health was poor throughout 2013 and 2014 and mentioned that he had sleeplessness, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Reportedly, Punk admitted that he wasn’t fun to be around at that time.
CagesideSeats— CM Punk and Colt Cabana vs. Dr. Chris Amann trial is underway https://t.co/96xcR66Mfn pic.twitter.com/YkCrwkcCxO
— CM PUNK ??? HERO (@CMPunkTheHero) May 30, 2018
Later, as Ross’ report indicates, CM Punk discussed the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble , the match where he got another concussion via a clothesline by Kofi Kingston. Allegedly, Phil testified that the clothesline spot was planned, praised Kofi’s athleticism, and said that he didn’t blame the WWE superstar for the concussion because the ring was very crowded. Reportedly, Punk also stated that he felt very helpless when he told Dr. Amann about the concussion, and he said the doctor responded with, “What do you want me to do?”
Punk continued to describe the Royal Rumble incidents, and as documented in the WrestleZone notes, he then broke down in tears. He described his judgment in 2014 as being “poor,” and the judge called for a 10 to 15-minute break so the UFC fighter could compose himself.
Like many old-school wrestlers, CM Punk spent a great deal of his career wrestling while injured. His grueling schedule caught up with him however, and on December 4, 2012, he had to undergo surgery for a partially torn meniscus. In a 2013 interview with Complex , CM Punk spoke of recovering from that injury, the toll that professional wrestling took on him, and some of his words reflect the bitterness he described as having during the trial.
“I’m not going to say it’s easy. It’s definitely hard, but you gotta understand that I’ve been doing this since 1997. The two months that I had off in between WrestleMania and the Payback pay-per-view; the first two months off I’ve had in my entire life. That two months is nothing. The first four weeks of that I could barely walk. It’s not much of a break at all. This business can chew you up and spit you out. It will burn you out if you don’t take time for yourself.”
Reportedly, when the trial returned from the break, Punk then explained where the lump was located on his back; he pointed to his beltline and remarked that he didn’t know why he previously described it on his “back” and not his “butt.” According to Ross’ report, medical terms for staph infections were discussed, Punk described the lump as being purple, reddish, and blue, and confirmed that Colt did see the lump and said, “If anyone’s gonna see my butt, that isn’t my wife, it’s Scott.”
And then things got very interesting. Reportedly, a series of text messages between AJ and Punk were revealed during the trial. Numerous texts were read of the couple’s conversation centering around his lump. Purportedly, Punk described in a text how much the lump hurt and said he hates “doc Amann” for not helping him out. AJ encouraged him to see her doctor, and he begrudgingly agreed to do so.
Reportedly, he was seen by a physician’s assistant, Patrick Duffy, and sent Lee a text stating that he was told it was a staph infection. The WrestleZone notes also indicated that Phil Brooks sent a series of texts to Mendez during the procedure of the cyst being removed, and described it as being very painful.
Those series of texts are very revealing because, as Inquisitr previously reported, the WWE had at one point released a video of CM Punk’s back during the time of the injury in question, and the photos seemingly showed no visible lumps. The video was since deleted, but it instilled a lot of doubt for many individuals of the legitimacy of Punk’s claims. The fact that Phil testified that the lump was on his beltline indicates that it wouldn’t have been visible when he wore his ring gear, and the series of texts between him and his wife is a very convincing argument to the former wrestler’s claims. But the trial is not over, and more information will likely surface from both sides.
How many days in a row can you wear the same unwashed suit from Kohls before a Jury thinks you’re gross? Asking for a friend.
— Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) June 1, 2018
Ross Berman’s report also stated that Punk was asked if he regretted anything he said on the podcast and replied, “no.” The former WWE champion said that he felt “relief” after the show, that he could move on with his life, and that he stands by the “essential truth” of his story, according to the report.
CM Punk then reiterated his feelings regarding the claims he said on Colt Cabana’s show, and as documented in the WrestleZone notes, the former WWE wrestler said the following.
“Everything was the truth, and I think the truth can hurt.”