Former WWE Star Says He Witnessed WWE Putting Plants In The Crowd To Cheer For CM Punk
Former "La Resistance" member and former WWE Tag Team Champion Rene Dupree recently did an interview with The Hannibal TV, which you can watch in the video player above. You can check out some highlights from the interview here below:
Dupree recalls a few times he and Punk worked together, and gives his insight on Punk leaving the company at the height of his career:
"Ya we did work together a few times," Dupree said. "On the outside looking in, as an independent wrestler you're like 'what the? But you think of it when you're there, you understand. Was he right to go on a podcast and tell his story? I think a lot of people wanted to know about it yeah, a lot of people were interested but now he's being sued."
The former "La Resistance" member also recalls the WWE planting people in the crowds during TV tapings to cheer for Punk:
"Yeah. They would do chants, and then it's like a ripple effect. They hear chants, chants, chants and then try and get the people up. CM Punk or ECW shirts, I'd see like three or four guys scattered around the arena. And I was like 'wow', but I guess if you really want to get somebody over."
Dupree was also asked on his thoughts of Punk's quick loss at UFC 203 and comparing it to current WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar's run in the Octagon:
"I think Michael Lansburg is really happy about the outcome," Dupree said with a laugh. "He (Brock Lesnar) had credentials, Brock was an NCAA wrestler. The guy knows how — and wrestling as you know is one of the greatest combat martial arts there is. Punk I don't believe played sports in high school, I don't believe he was ever involved in a really hard fight. But the thing is I'm hearing he was doing like comic books and he was doing movie roles. You have to dedicate yourself 24/7 to this. You're not in there with some chump off the street, you're in there with a guy who's had legitimate fights and is a tough guy. Plus the fact that he is involved in a lawsuit, he had too many distractions. Plus he's 38-years-old, he's had hip surgery, knee surgery, he was an independent wrestler 16 or 17 years. I can guarantee he has at least 16 or 17 concussions. The odds were not in his favor. But he went and did it, that was something off his bucket list and maybe it's his last fight, maybe it's not I don't know."
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit The Hannibal Show with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.