CM Punk “Gets A Bad Rap” According To Ex-WWE Star

CM Punk has received high praise from former WWE Intercontinental Champion, Curtis Axel.

The third generation Superstar spent thirteen years with WWE after signing with the company in 2007, just months after accepting a WWE Hall Of Fame Induction on behalf of his late Father, Mr Perfect.

Arguably the highlight of Axel’s main roster tenure came in 2013, where he debuted under the managerial wing of Paul Heyman and even collected a victory over Triple H during his first appearance under the legendary wiseman during the 20th May 2013 edition of Raw.

Axel would go on the lift the WWE Intercontinental Championship after defeating Wade Barrett and The Miz in a triple threat match at Payback 2013. The Minnesota-born Superstar enjoyed at 155 day reign with the gold before dropping the title to Big E on the 18th November 2013 episode of Raw.

During this time, Axel also spent time teaming with another Paul Heyman recruit, CM Punk. Despite earning a reputation for being disruptive during his career, Axel has nothing but praise for his former stablemate.

Speaking during a recent appearance on ‘Monte & The Pharoah‘, the 45 year-old outlined his long-standing respect for the ‘Second City Saint’:

“He does get a bad rap. He helped me out a lot. I’m friends with him. We’ve been boys. We’ve had battles, bad battles, all over the world. He’s been nothing but a help for me.

I know where people can say he has a bad reputation because of his attitude, but you kind of have to have that with this industry. You have to have that ‘don’t give a hell about whatever’ and you just go and do you. If you don’t have self-confidence and ‘I’m better than you,’ then you’re going to fail. Punk has always had that.

I have nothing but respect for him. He’s helped me. I would love to fight him again. We’ve had some battles. We’re both Heyman guys.”

CM Punk To Headline WWE Netflix Debut

CM Punk is set to play a key role when WWE moves to it’s new home on Netflix, beginning with the 6th January 2025 edition of Raw.

The company has inked a decade-long deal reported to be worth $500 million dollars per year and will be keen to kick off their tenure with a memorable debut. With this in mind, prominent wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has reported that CM Punk will battle Seth Rollins in the main event of the huge debut show.

H/T: Fightful for the above transcription.