A professional wrestler is facing heavy criticism from fans after posting a pro-Palestine message on his Instagram.
CM Punk shared a series of images on the social media platform on Sunday, including a photo of a white wall with the words “Free Palestine” spray-painted in red.
Among the reactions were some scathing responses from some of his followers, who were furious about his support for Palestine.
An angry fan responded in the comments, saying the 45-year-old athlete had “ruined my month.”
“I wanted to reach out to you because you have been one of my biggest inspirations for years. I have admired you for so long and you have been a role model to me. However, after seeing your ‘Free Palestine’ post, I felt deeply disappointed,” he wrote to the WWE star.
CM Punk, pictured in August 2024, received a mix of backlash and support when he posted a photo of a wall spray-painted with the words “Free Palestine”
This was the image that evoked both condemnation and adoration
“Israel has so many fans who love you, but it seems you think it is more valuable to choose the other side,” he wrote.
He added: ‘In short, Punk, you let me down. You ruined my month.’
Someone else said he had “lost the human side of history.”
Another viewer told CM Punk, “You lost me in the last picture.”
One outspoken fan pointed out that CM Punk shared his pro-Palestinian sentiments just a day after Israeli forces discovered the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Among the more than 200 prisoners captured by Hamas militants on October 7 were Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino.
According to the IDF, they were all “brutally” murdered “shortly before troops could locate them.”
“You see this news and think, ‘Good job, I have to support Hamas.’ Stop struggling, grandpa,” the person wrote.
Vladimir Ropot, from Hadera City in Israel, wrote a lengthy commentary criticizing CM Punk, real name Phillip Jack Brooks, for his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The six hostages (clockwise from top left): Alex Lobanov, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Master Sgt Ori Danino, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat
Yet another wrestling fan referenced another popular wrestler, Jungle Boy, in his disapproval of CM Punk.
“Jungle boy was right,” the person wrote. “Cry me a river to the sea, because Israel will always be free.”
The phrase ‘cry for the river’ comes from a video where Jungle Boy, real name Jack Perry, points out that the windshield of a car in the ring is made of real glass.
Later, Jungle Boy is thrown into the glass by his opponent, causing the glass to break on his back.
CM Punk’s post also received some positive responses.
“That last photo brought a smile to my face. One day we will have Liberation. Free Palestine,” someone wrote.
Pictured: Jungle Boy, real name Jack Perry. He is another wrestler in the WWE
Many others called him the GOAT (greatest of all time) and a legend because of his political stance.
This comes as CM Punk scores his first WWE victory in over a decade, defeating Drew McIntyre in Berlin.
He left WWE in early 2014 due to disagreements with management, but returned to the organization in 2023.