Former WWE Star Recalls Having CM Punk As Mentor

AEW

Former WWE star Fred Rosser (fka Darren Young) has recalled his time under CM Punk on NXT.

Back during the brand’s rookie-pro days, CM Punk served as Rosser’s pro in 2010. At the time, Punk was also wrestling full-time on SmackDown, leading the Straight Edge Society stable.

On the Insider’s Edge podcast, Rosser revealed that he and Punk didn’t interact much off-screen, noting:

“I think at the time, maybe he was maybe under a lot of stress himself and being on the road more, [and] having to be on NXT.

“It was probably getting to him so he wasn’t into it, he probably said one, a handful of words to me during that entire season. So it was intimidating because I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, and I was new.”

Rosser recalled a heartwarming moment between him and Punk in 2013, after he publicly came out as gay. Noting that CM Punk had his back, Rosser said:

“He came up to me in catering, and he was all iced up and he told me to stand up in catering. I stood up and he gave me a hug, and he told me after I had came out on television, that if I had any issues with anyone in the locker room to let him know, that he had my back.

“So I was like, ‘Wow.’ It was that minute that I realized that my story was a big deal, and that at the time he did have my back.”

Rosser currently wrestles for NJPW on the US-based ‘STRONG’ brand. He is currently the NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, after winning the gold at STRONG: Collision in Philadelphia in June.

Transcription via Wrestling Inc. 

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• fred rosser
• Darren young
• cm punk
• nxt

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