CM Punk Not “As Toxic As Everybody Thinks” Says AEW Star
CM Punk is a polarizing figure in AEW but wrestling veteran Billy Gunns believes the belief that Punk is “toxic” is massively overblown.
Punk has not been seen in AEW since the events following All Out in 2022 where he lambasted several of his colleagues publicly before ending up in a backstage fight with The Elite. However, nine months later the star is set for a return to the company as the cornerstone of the new Saturday night Collision show.
Speaking on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Billy Gunn has given his thoughts on CM Punk’s return and thinks its always better to have someone of Punk’s ability and drawing power to be part of the company despite any personal feelings involved:
“So you can probably look at that two ways. Some people are gonna think it’s negative, and some people… I think it’s a positive thing, I really do, because he is still, no matter what goes on behind the scene, he’s still got it. He’s still the guy. He still has huge drawing power, and that’s only gonna help us, so why would you not want a guy in here that can help?
“I don’t feel he’s as toxic as everybody thinks he is, but then again, I’m an old person and I don’t really care about all that other stuff. All I care about is what can he do for the company. What can he do for the talent in the company? He’s still very good at that, and we all have our days where we go a little off-track.
“I can’t speak for anything, what happened with that, because everything I heard is also hearsay, and I don’t speak on hearsay because I’m not a gossiper. But in the general scheme of things, I think it’s a good thing, it really is.”
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Billy Gunn then added that he’s been in situations in his career where he has despised the people he has been working with but says you always do business despite the personal feelings involved:
“He’s just gonna help the company all around. He’s gonna help the talent on the Collision show or whatever. I mean, when the single guy can sell out Chicago arenas, yeah, I’m gonna say you might wanna keep him around a little bit.
“But what personalities on the other side, sometimes you gotta set that aside. I’ve been in the business a long time. There’s been some people that I despise, but I still work with them. That’s just being honest. I still will do my job because my job isn’t to like you or dislike you. My job is to go out there and have the best match and do the best for the company that you can, and that’s what you do. I’m not gonna hang out with you. We’re not gonna go eat, we’re not gonna go to the gym, but when it comes to business, when it comes to stepping in the ring, it should always be business.
“It should always be, you do the best that you can at that moment in that specific time that you’re given. So I think it’s a good thing, I really do. All feelings aside, it’s gonna be a good thing. It really is.”
CM Punk will return to in-ring action on the first edition of Collision with Tony Khan confirming that Punk will team with AEW Tag Team Champions FTR to face the trio of Samoa Joe and Bullet Club Gold’s Jay White and Juice Robinson.