CM Punk used his appearance at WWE’s Money in the Bank event in New Orleans to honor Chad Gilbert, the late founding member and guitarist of New Found Glory.
Punk wore a white jacket with “ChadBall” printed on the chest, WWE announcer Corey Graves said during the event. Gilbert died at age 45 after battling adrenal cancer, according to the report.
Punk had also posted a tribute to Gilbert on Instagram after his death was announced. The post included a photo of Gilbert with Punk’s dog, Larry, and the caption, “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Punk dedicated a win at WWE’s Bad Blood event in 2024 to Gilbert as well.
Gilbert’s family and band said in a joint statement posted Sept. 20 that he died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by loved ones. The statement described him as a husband and father and said he was survived by his wife, daughter, mother and brother.
The source report says Gilbert had been battling adrenal cancer since 2021 and underwent brain surgery in February after doctors found tumors.
