One Of CM Punk's Most Visible Tattoos Is A Tribute To A Fallen Wrestling Legend

In a new video on WWE's YouTube page, CM Punk spoke about where all of his tattoos come from. He has one that honors a dog who passed away, another is the lips of his wife, AJ Lee, but one has a heartbreaking story behind it. CM Punk has multiple tattoos on his hands, most famously with DRUG and FREE going across his knuckles because of his straight edge lifestyle. But if you look at Punk's left hand, you'll see in big, cursive letters, "No Gimmicks Needed". This isn't about how Punk sees himself per se, but is a way to honor the late, great Chris Candido. Punk explained it in the video, saying:

"No Gimmicks Needed was kind of a moniker and a gimmick, if you will, of a wrestler named Chris Candido, who I became close to prior to his death. I just felt the need to memorialize him 'cause he was somebody who fell into the traps that a lot of wrestlers do with the drugs, and the alcohol, and everything, but he had cleaned up, turned his life around."

Chris Candido Died After A Tragic In-Ring Injury

CM Punk said there was also a second meaning to the tattoo, with gimmicks also referring to drugs. Chris Candido did indeed, have a very hard life. He found success everywhere he went, from WWE, to WCW, and ECW, but he also struggled with addiction.

Punk is right that Candido did get himself clean, only to die because of an in-ring tragedy. In April 2005, he competed at the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view, where he suffered a badly broken leg. He went through surgery to have the damage fixed, but four days later, on April 28, he suddenly passed away, having got acute pneumonia from the surgery. Chris Candido had a career that lasted two decades, making it to the biggest stages in the world with no gimmicks needed.