CM Punk Explains Origins Of Iconic Pepsi Tattoo For WWE Digital

CM Punk has officially gone on record about his famous Pepsi logo tattoo that has sat just below his left shoulder for years.
There's been a story around for a while that Punk went out and got the iconic brand's logo permanently etched onto his body because he was a fan of the cola, or soda pop if you're from that part of the country.
Turns out, that's only partially true. The self-proclaimed 'Best in the World' has now revealed the deeper meaning behind his decision to become an unofficial walking billboard for the brand.
Now we know the truth about that iconic tat! 🥤✍️@CMPunk talks about all of his tattoos on the newest episode of WWE Tattooed https://t.co/Ar17sQlu5b pic.twitter.com/HWiXD3xS4Q
— WWE (@WWE) June 4, 2025
"The story with the Pepsi tattoo is there is a band called Minor Threat that started in the early eighties in Washington DC, that's widely known to have started the Straight Edge subculture," Punk said during a WWE Digital Exclusive.
The guitarist's name for the group was Brian Baker. A young CM Punk was reading an interview with Baker while he was sitting in detention one day, and it was revealed that he had a Coca-Cola tattoo simply because he liked to drink Coke products.
"That's just punk rock right there. You know, I don't like Coke. I like Pepsi. I'm a Midwest kid at heart, so I got a Pepsi tattoo. That tattoo represents me being straight edge. And that's really kind of it. I know it seems silly to put a corporate logo on yourself, but it really has a deeper meaning and it means so much more to me than just [a] soft drink."

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Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com