CM Punk Praises WWE Locker Room Environment
CM Punk is loving it in the WWE locker room.
When CM Punk willingly walked out of WWE in January 2014 it was because he was frustrated with the company from a creative standpoint and also because they would make him wrestle even when he was dealing with injuries.
It took nearly ten years for CM Punk to return “home” to WWE and that was only after he spent two tumultuous years in AEW, which saw him get into at least two backstage fights.
Due to his past issues in WWE and the controversial run in AEW, there were likely people within WWE who were nervous about Punk coming back “home” to the company he spent eight years with.
All indications are that Punk is fitting in well with WWE. It’s something that Punk addressed himself when talking to Ringside Collectibles at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con.
“The cool thing about where we’re at as a company right now, creatively speaking, this is the most fruitful, creative locker room that I think I’ve ever been in where ideas aren’t ignored and shot down, and people are eager to share ideas, you know, so somebody someday could have a brilliant idea that something that I have blinders on and can’t see, and I would be receptive to any of the ideas as long as they’re good.”
CM Punk would go on to admit that if WWE was like this when he left a decade ago then he likely never would have left in the first place. This is how Punk responded when being asked about having creative freedom in today’s WWE.
“Yeah, absolutely. To a point where I almost don’t like talking about it because everyone thinks I’m just like toeing the company line, you know, but I know if this place is the way it was now, I wouldn’t have left 10 years ago. This is the most basic way I can explain it. Really exciting.”
CM Punk Cleared To Compete Again
At the Royal Rumble this past January, CM Punk took a Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre and when Punk landed, he suffered a torn right triceps. Punk went on to finish second in the match to Cody Rhodes. Since then, Punk has been rehabbing his right arm.
This past Monday on Raw, CM Punk announced he has been cleared to compete again and it was announced that he’ll face his rival McIntyre at SummerSlam. The SummerSlam match will be Punk’s second televised match since his November 2023 return to WWE. In addition to that, Seth “Freakin” Rollins will be the special guest referee of the Punk-McIntyre match, which is interesting since Rollins has had major issues with both men.
Behind the scenes, WWE is really happy with CM Punk and there are ongoing discussions about a new contract since his initial contract was a temporary thing. Hopefully the former WWE Champion Punk can stay healthy and continue to make happy memories for the fans that love him.