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CM Punk: a good role model?

Night of Champions
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Night of Champions hits Sky Box Office on Sunday evening with every WWE Championship on the line.

In one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends his belt against Jeff Hardy - and there has definitely been no love lost between the two Superstars in recent weeks.

Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to cruelly take the Championship off Hardy, barely 60 seconds after he had won it in an exhausting Ladder Match with Edge at Extreme Rules.

Punk once again frustrated Hardy when they met at The Bash last month, kicking the referee in the back to earn a disqualification, therefore retaining his title.

Ahead of Night of Champions, skysports.com caught up with CM Punk to get his thoughts about his latest title defence.

The Straight Edged Superstar gave us his views on Hardy, the WWE fans and his pride at holding the WWE Heavyweight Championship.

He also told us what makes a good champion, about his plans for more tattoos... plus he revealed the Superstars he wants to face once Hardy is out of the way.

You will be facing Jeff Hardy at Night of Champions, live on Sky Box Office, this weekend. What can we expect?
CM Punk: Well, if you've been paying attention, myself and Jeff Hardy sort of don't like each other. Not only is this a World Heavyweight Championship match, it's also a bit of a grudge match. Jeff thinks he's right, I think he's wrong - so it's like the immovable force meets the movable object.

Why do you think Hardy is "wrong"?
CM Punk: Jeff has got his demons and he's got his problems in his own mind. I just don't think he's Championship material. When you're the champion you've got to carry the company on your back and be a good role model for kids. To me that's not Jeff Hardy...

Would you say you are a good role model?
CM Punk: Me? Yeah! I'm an excellent champion. I'm honest and I'm straight-edged so all the kids have got a positive aspect to look at.

But some people would say the way you got yourself disqualified against Hardy at The Bash were not the actions of a good champion.
CM Punk: Hey. I did not purposefully kick the referee. It was a complete accident. I'd been poked in the eye really hard and I couldn't see. I got poked in the eye so hard I felt like somebody had touched my brain! All I could do was hold my eye and I tried to fight - but I accidentally kicked the referee.

Some people would say we've started to see a different side to your personality in recent weeks. Is that a fair comment?
CM Punk: I think it's stuff that's always been there. I don't think it's me that's changing or showing a different side to myself, I think it's the fans. They're booing me for no reason. They love Jeff, you can't deny that, and I thought the fans liked me too. But it seems they like Jeff a little bit more.

Does that bug you?
CM Punk: No, no, no. Not at all. I appreciate the honesty. That's what wrestling's all about. What makes being a WWE wrestler exciting is that the fans get to dictate who they like.

All of the Championships will be on the line on Sunday. What do you think makes a great champion?
CM Punk: I think you have to entertain the fans first and foremost. If you do that I think you're a great champion, but it also helps to look the part. You need to be a good fighter in the ring, but different styles make wrestling what it is. You've got to be exciting, maybe a little bit flashy, but you've also got to be able to deal with the media and carry yourself as a champion.

Who do you regard as the greatest ever champion?
CM Punk: That's a really hard call. Off the top of my head, guys like Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat and Eddie Guerrero were awesome champions. I liked different things about those guys. Harley was a man's man, a tough son of a gun and was the guy to beat for so long. Eddie was great in everything he did; he could talk, he could wrestle and he could do the entertainment aspect of wrestling. As for Ricky Steamboat, he is probably the best role model the business has ever seen.

How do you feel following on from those great champions and holding the WWE Heavyweight Championship? Does it put pressure on you?
CM Punk: I don't know if I can fill the shoes of those guys, but I will definitely try - and that's the point. Every champion needs to carve his own niche. I'm not trying to be the next Eddie Guerrero or Ricky Steamboat or Harley Race. Or anybody for that matter. I'm trying to be the first CM Punk!

Having reached the top, what else is there for you to achieve in wrestling?
CM Punk: Right now I'm just focused on being World Heavyweight Champion. It's a title that I'm very proud of, I'm proud to be two-time World Heavyweight Champion, and right now I'm just focused on keeping the title past Night of Champions.

You recently moved over to the SmackDown roster. How has the transition been for you?
CM Punk: I absolutely love it, SmackDown is a good fit for me. It's a young, exciting show and we've got a hell of a roster with guys who compliment each other. There's me, Jericho, Edge, Rey Mysterio, John Morrison... it's very exciting.

Are any of those guys in your sights after you've dealt with Jeff Hardy on Sunday?
CM Punk: John Morrison has beaten me twice in non-title matches, so you've got to give a title shot to him. Apart from that I'm looking to wrestle guys I've never wrestled before. Triple H, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, John Cena... guys like that.

Are there any up-and-coming stars we should be keeping an eye on?
CM Punk: My favourite young wrestler right now is probably Evan Bourne. He's young, he's exciting and he's got awesome moves.

You're well known for your tattoos. Which is your favourite?
CM Punk: I've got a couple, but my dog's paw on my left arm is probably my favourite. My dog was my best friend and she passed away so I immortalised her on my arm!

Have you got plans for any more tattoos?
CM Punk: Oh yeah, I've got plenty of room. I'm not done yet. But I'm not going to spoil the surprise and tell you what I'm gonna get. You'll have to stay tuned and find out!

Finally, Night of Champions airs live at 1am on Monday morning. Do you have any advice for how your fans should keep themselves awake to catch the live broadcast?
CM Punk: Haha! I don't know, man! Drink some Red Bull or something because this is a pay-per-view you don't wanna miss. I'd just like to thank all the CM Punk fans in the UK and I hope to keep on entertaining you and making you happy!

WWE presents Night of Champions. 1am on Sunday night, July 26. Live and exclusive on Sky Box Office. Order now! Call 08442 410 888 or press "Box Office" on your Sky remote. Go to wwe.com for more details.