Brooks started out wrestling in a backyard wrestling federation called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation along with his friends and his brother Mike Brooks in the mid-late 1990s and used the ring name CM Punk as a member of the Chick Magnets with his tag team partner CM Venom after another wrestler had skipped out on the card. He actually wanted to become a professional wrestler unlike his friends and thought of it more than just simple fun. Punk distanced himself from his brother Mike and has not spoke to him since after he found out that Mike was stealing thousands of dollars from the company.