Former Horseman: CM Punk Is Like The Honky Tonk Man

Critically derided by fans at the time, Paul Roma's inclusion as one of The Four Horsemen in 1993 - one of pro wrestling's most infamous stables - remains a baffling decision. Undoubtedly possessing the physical qualities and appearance of a star, Roma was nonetheless a career mid-carder best known for being a tag-team wrestler. Standing alongside names such as Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, he perhaps looked out of his depth.

Speaking recently to James Guttman of ClubWWI.com (www.WorldWrestlingInsanity.com), Roma shared his thoughts on WWE Champ CM Punk, comparing his prominent position on the card to that of the Honky Tonk Man.

"He looks like somebody who was dragged out of the tattoo parlour - kicks his feet up and is just chain-smoking cigarettes. Not somebody that you want your son to look like. At the end of the day, you have to look at him and look at Honky Tonk Man. Honky Tonk was a guy who had no body, but had a great gimmick and people wanted to see him get beat. So when he went out there and beat all these ex-champions and champions-to-be like Tito Santana, people were saying, 'How can that be? How can he beating Tito? How can he be beating this guy? How can he be beating that guy?' And that's what had you coming back. Again, it's like Mike Tyson. You don't have to like him, but you're going to watch to see him get beat. If you do like him, you're gonna watch to see him not get beat", Roma told ClubWWI.

"And that's the same thing with CM Punk. You said it; he doesn't have a physique. He' s just that less-than-average guy as far as physically looking at him and he goes out there and wins, wins, wins. And it drives the average Joe out in the audience, that looks like him, to say, 'Oh, I can do that, man. CM Punk is doing it and he looks like s--t. I can do it.' The other people out there, who are jacked and in better shape physically, are saying, 'When's this guy gonna get beat?' That's the philosophy that Vince is using with this dude."