CM Punk Gets Back In the Ring… for Wrestling TV Drama

Jan 31, 2021 - by James Walsh

Production had begun last year on the Starz pro-wrestling drama, Heels, starring Stephen Amell of Arrow fame and Alexander Ludwig. Earlier today, star Stephen Amell confirmed a report by PWInsider that former WWE Superstar and World champion CM Punk is working on the show via social media.

Amell tweeted on Punk’s involvement, “Please welcome @CMPunk to @HeelsSTARZ — He was a little rusty in the ring yesterday, but I assured him it was just like riding a bike.” The tweet also featured a set photo showing Amell and Punk in the ring.

PWInsider’s report noted that Punk has been in Atlanta, Georgia and quarantining for several weeks in anticipation for his role in the series. Earlier this month, Punk had noted on Twitter that he was self-quarantining as a safety guideline for a job, but he did not indicate what it is. So, it looks like he was referring to his role in Heels.

Additionally, PWInsider noted that CM Punk is going to portray an adversary of Stephen Amell’s character in the series and will be doing in-ring work. His character reportedly could be a recurring one for the series.

Previously in 2017, Punk had screen-tested for the role of the heel character, Jack Spade, and he is said to have impressed casting directors at the time. However, the project was later put on hold. While the role of Spade ultimately went to Amell, Punk will now play a rival character to Spade.

Wrestler and stuntman Luke Hawx is serving as the wrestling coordinator for the upcoming show. Also, PWInsider reports that other veteran wrestlers will be appearing in the series, including Doc Gallows, Stevie Richards, Perry Hawx, and J Spade, who have all filmed work for the series.

The upcoming Starz show is written by Michael Waldron and has Mike O’Malley as its showrunner. It is described as follows:

Heels is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack Spade (Amell) and Ace Spade (Ludwig), war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy (Ludwig) and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.






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