WWE superstar CM Punk recently offered his unique take on the popular “Mount Rushmore” debate in wrestling, opting to name his “Six Grandfathers” of wrestling instead. The concept of “Mount Rushmore” in wrestling is used to identify the four greatest performers of all time, but Punk’s decision to expand his list and use the original name of the iconic monument in South Dakota is a reflection of his deep appreciation for wrestling history and his often-contrarian perspective on the industry. His selections, which span multiple eras of professional wrestling, showcase his respect for different styles and personas that have shaped the sport.
During an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Punk explained his logic for using “Six Grandfathers” over the traditional “Mount Rushmore” of four.
“I’m gonna cheat. I’m gonna be a really annoying — I’m sure somebody’ll call me a liberal cuck — I like to say Six Grandfathers instead of Rushmore,” Punk explained, noting that the ‘Six Grandfathers’ concept works better in wrestling and was what the monument was called before the faces of the former Presidents were carved into it. “Four is hard! And to me, it’s interesting because in sports, if in the ’60s, you said ‘Give me your top four baseball players?’ it’s infinitely easier than 2025, right? Same with football, same with hockey.”
He then revealed his six picks, starting with one of his long-time idols.
“This is why some people love me and why some people hate me: the top six pro wrestlers of all time? Man, it’s still pretty hard. Bret Hart. In terms of just overall to me, he’s like a 10 out of 10 at everything. People can give him flak for not maybe having the best mic skills, but for who he was and what he was trying to accomplish, Bret was always Bret.”
He then added five more legends to his list.
“On his other picks after Terry Funk, Harley Race, Roddy Piper, and Eddie Guerrero: “That’s five. It’s hard, right? Everyone normally says like, you know, [Ric] Flair, Shawn Michaels is a good pick, Dusty’s another good pick. I think Dusty [Rhodes] is a very – I think Dusty [Rhodes] is a very good pick. Yeah, Dusty, six; six with a bullet.”
Punk notably dismissed the idea of including Logan Paul on his list, despite Paul’s rapid success in WWE. Punk was successful in his return to the ring this past Saturday at WWE WrestlePalooza, where he and his wife AJ Lee defeated Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a mixed tag team match.