WWE legend CM Punk paid tribute to the late Duke Roufus this past Saturday, ahead of his main event at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Just a few weeks ago, the MMA world was hit by the shocking and devastating news that Duke Roufus had sadly passed away at the age of 55.
Roufus trained some of the best fighters in the world, including Anthony Pettis, Matt Mitrione, and Ben Askren, and he was widely regarded as one of the smartest minds in the sport.
However, potentially one of the biggest names that Roufus trained during his time as an MMA coach was CM Punk, during his short stint in the sport.
Punk paid tribute to great Duke Roufus ahead of WWE title fight
This past Saturday, the premier wrestling promotion returned with another big event offer, Saturday Night’s Main Event, which was headlined by a vacant World Heavyweight Championship fight between Punk and Jey Uso.
And during his iconic walkout, Punk paid tribute to his former MMA coach, Roufus, with a fight jacket, embroidered, ‘Duke’.
Over his years training Punk, Roufus consistently backed his fighter, seeing things that maybe the fanbase couldn’t see in his few UFC outings.
The legendary coach praised Punk for being able to ‘crack’, crediting him for having fight winning power, which he was unfortunately unable to showcase in the Octagon.
The 47-year-old went on to win against Uso, becoming a seven-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, potentially setting up for a clash against John Cena.
