Ex-WWE Star Squashed CM Punk Grudge Thanks To Paul Heyman
A former WWE star has explained how Paul Heyman helped him finally squash his issues with CM Punk.
CM Punk has had no shortage of controversy dogging him throughout his wrestling career. Punk infamously walked out on WWE in 2014 when he grew tired of just about everything to do with the company.
A seven-year hiatus from wrestling followed before he turned up in AEW to a huge reception. However, one year after his iconic debut, the cracks had turned to chasms in the company. CM Punk was involved in a backstage brawl with The Young Bucks at 2022’s All Out, and when he ended up in another physical confrontation at All In 2023, this time with Jack Perry, Tony Khan had little choice but to fire Punk.
CM Punk then rejoined WWE, but his reception was not exactly warm from all quarters, with the likes of Seth Rollins still unable to let go of his past issues with Punk. Now, a former WWE star has explained how he did just that after a rough introduction to Punk.
Paul Heyman Provides Path To Peace With CM Punk
Speaking on the All Axxess podcast, Ken Anderson explained how he had heat with CM Punk stemming from a match he had back in IWA Mid-South that Punk provided less than flattering commentary on:
Punk and Ace Steel, and Dave Prazak were doing commentary, and I wrestled against Austin Aries in one of the opening contests. Those guys just buried us – from the time Aries came through the curtain to the time that we both left. They just buried us.
Years later, I was on an independent show with him, and I just [asked], ‘Can I talk to you for a second?’ I pulled him into a different room, and I said, ‘Uh, do we have heat or something?’ He didn’t know where I was coming at it from. I laid out the scenario, and I said, ‘I’m waiting for this tape, right? I can’t wait to see this tape of my match, and then when I get it, I’m watching it, and you guys are just burying us the whole time. Is there a problem?’
He was like, ‘No.’ He gave me the deepest, most sincere… There was no ‘Yeah, but.’ He gave me a genuine apology. Then we squashed it, but I still held that grudge.
However, that grudge disappeared for good thanks to Paul Heyman taking both men out for sushi, where they actually got to know each other:
He took us out for sushi one day, and we just sat and talked and [got to] know each other and just completely squashed everything, and we became good friends.