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CM Punk Encourages NXT’s Cora Jade In Backstage Moment (VIDEO)

By John Canton • Published 10th December 2023
cm punk cora jade nxt

Cora Jade is a huge CM Punk fan and the WWE cameras were on hand to film a video of the wrestling legend giving the rising NXT star a pep talk.

Fans of Cora Jade know that she became a pro wrestler in part because of the influence that CM Punk had on her. While Punk is a 45-year-old who has been part of pro wrestling for 25 years, Cora Jade is part of that next generation that is 22 years old and grew up as a fan of many current WWE stars.

On a CM Punk DVD that WWE released over a decade ago, there was a clip of Cora Jade crying when she met Punk at a contract signing. Jade’s father is in the clip talking about how Cora looked up to Punk and he was thankful that she had a role model like Punk, who often speaks about the straight-edge lifestyle.

At WWE NXT Deadline in Bridgeport, CT, CM Punk was part of an opening promo segment with Shawn Michaels where Punk mentioned the possibility of signing with NXT while also mentioning Raw and SmackDown as options for him.

As for Cora Jade, she made her NXT return after several months off to attack the NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria from behind. Jade held up the NXT Women’s Title to make it known that she was coming for the gold.

What Did CM Punk Say To Cora Jade At WWE NXT Deadline?

In a video posted by the WWE Digital team on the company’s social media accounts and YouTube, Cora Jade was doing a backstage interview when CM Punk just so happened to be walking by (imagine that!) and Punk went over to Jade for a talk.

“You should be very proud of yourself. Often, I feel like I need to be stepping on the gas, and I don’t stop and smell the roses, so you should do that. This is your house now. You should be very proud of yourself and April’s proud of you too.”

The “April” that Punk is referring to is former WWE Superstar AJ Lee, whom Punk married in 2014, which was the same year that he left WWE.

Punk gave Jade a big hug and apologized for interrupting.

Jade responded with a big smile on her face: “If I got CM Punk’s approval, that’s all I need. See ya!”

CM Punk returns to WWE Monday Night Raw on December 11th to announce what brand he will be signing with. As for Jade, she will likely be back on NXT TV one night later on December 12th to continue her chase for championship gold.

There are more of the CM Punk-Cora Jade moments featured in social media posts below. One of the photos is from a WWE live event when Cora was a kid and Punk took a photo with her.