Tag: CM Punk

CM Punk details backstage incident with Jack Perry at AEW All In

CM Punk revealed details of his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In.

In what became his final act with the company, AEW fired CM Punk following a backstage incident with Jack Perry at All In. It triggered an eventual return to WWE for the 45-year-old, while AEW suspended Perry, who eventually went to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and has not appeared on AEW programming since (though he’s widely believed to still be under contract to AEW).

The altercation faded from the spotlight upon Punk’s return to WWE, but he revived the discourse on Monday with juicy details regarding that and the controversies that have defined his career.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Punk was asked about the incident with Perry at All In, and he did not hold back on details.

Jack came back from his match. I was the next match. I’m sitting there. I got people with me. I’m not going to say who they are because I got a lot of friends who work there. I wish them all well, and I don’t want them to be punished because they’re friends with me. I walk up to him and I’m just like, Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb internet s–t on TV, you know? He’s just like, ‘If you got a problem about it, do something about it.’ I was just like, ‘Come on, man. I could f–king kill you. What are we doing?’

Punk also revealed that he told Tony Khan “I quit” after the incident, before his match with Samoa Joe happened.

Sometimes, it’s like, can’t let you get close. You know? I thought I was doing the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop, and then I quit. I turned to Tony, and I said, ‘This place is a f–king joke, man. You’re a clown, I quit.’ I went to my room, and then Joe and Jerry Lynn came and got me, and they’re like, ‘Let’s just go out there and kill it.’ I was just too fired up, and I’m fired up now, and I’m probably gonna regret talking about all this s–t, but that’s what happened.

This suggests that Punk knowingly competed at All In, fully aware that it would be his final match, yet was still allowed to step into the ring and wrestle.

This detail adds another layer to Punk’s tumultuous tenure, and given everything he disclosed to Helwani, there’s still plenty to unpack.

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CM Punk confirms original WrestleMania 40 plans

CM Punk eliminated all uncertainty regarding his original WrestleMania 40 opponent.

All signs pointed to CM Punk and Seth Rollins squaring off at WrestleMania 40. From the aftermath of Survivor Series 2023 to fairly intense promos teasing a match in early 2024, it seemed a dream match between two of pro wrestling’s top stars would happen at WWE’s biggest show of the year.

Of course, Punk then suffered a torn triceps at the Royal Rumble, sidelining him indefinitely. Rollins will instead team with Cody Rhodes to face The Rock and Roman Reigns on night 1 of WrestleMania and defend the World Heavyweight Championship on night 2.

Was Punk vs. Rollins a definite plan, though? It certainly seemed that way. During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the Straight Edge Superstar revealed that the original plan was for him to face Rollins at WrestleMania 40.

“The plan was going to be me and Seth [Rollins],” Punk said, then added, “I believe so,” when asked if it would have main evented Night One.

It’s not particularly surprising, considering the interactions between Rollins and Punk and the former’s performance in the Royal Rumble match, where he survived until the final two only to be defeated by Rhodes. It was clear that big plans were in place for him, potentially leading to his first WrestleMania main event.

Unfortunately for Punk, that dream will have to wait a year. However, he will still be at WrestleMania, providing commentary for the World Heavyweight Championship match between Rollins and Drew McIntyre. It’s a significant change from the original plan, but fans of Punk can still experience his presence in some capacity during the event.

While it won’t happen at WrestleMania 40, perhaps Punk and Rollins will meet in the future, whether for a title or not. It’s a tantalizing matchup, years in the making, that fans will have to wait just a little longer for.

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The secret to the best Raw in years? WWE let its stars be stars

Trusting its top talent to be true to themselves is paying off big time for WWE right now.

For years and years and years, regular WWE watchers complained about the creative constraints WWE would put on its roster of wrestlers.

The fact that WWE was presenting a PG, family-friendly product was not the sole reason for this either. A lot of it also had to do with the fact that Vince McMahon would oftentimes put creative governors on wrestlers that, simply put, did not allow them to get over.

McMahon couldn’t just let his stars be the stars he so desperately wanted them to be. They all had to do so under his arbitrary rules for how wrestling — or sports entertainment — should be presented. If they didn’t succeed, it was the fault of the wrestler, not the fault of the creatively stifling environment they had to endure.

Fortunately, McMahon is no longer in charge of WWE’s creative vision, and the company’s new regime, led by Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, has in many ways discarded many of McMahon’s doctrines. That goes from the stories the company is telling to how they are produced.

The results have been overwhelmingly positive. That’s not just me lauding WWE’s creative direction. The proof is in the fact that WWE has sold out a slew of television tapings — something that was unheard of during the end of McMahon’s tenure — and has enjoyed a sizable boost to its overall business.

Which leads me to this past Monday when WWE packed the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Ill. for its most recent episode of Raw, a show that has been hailed as one of WWE’s best in recent memory. 

So what’s WWE’s secret? It’s doing what McMahon seemingly forgot to do for the last decade-plus of tumultuous tenure: let the stars be stars.

On one show, we had CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins participate in a spicy verbal confrontation that clearly didn’t have the paint-by-numbers scripting of McMahon’s worst days. Instead, we saw three talented wrestlers simply riffing on the microphone.

Only in this environment could we see just how good McIntyre actually is on the microphone. That was never the case under McMahon.

We saw Becky Lynch punch Dominik Mysterio square in the mouth, which only cemented how much of a badass “The Man” is supposed to be.

We saw R-Truth continue to be R-Truth, which honestly is enough for me.

We also saw some fantastic matches, which have always been a staple in WWE. The problem previously was that the story surrounding the great in-ring action rarely matched it.

And of course, we witnessed The Rock beat the brakes off Cody Rhodes during a Chicago downpour while talking all sorts of trash to Rhodes, Rhodes’ mother and to all of the “Cody Crybabies.”

It looked like a scene straight out of an action movie, where the hero is beaten down and left for dead at the end of the second act, only to enact their revenge in the third. We even got to see Rhodes bleed, which has not been a common occurrence on WWE television for multiple decades at this point.

It was, in a word — and I know this gets thrown around a lot these days — cinema.

However, I do have one minor quibble with the final segment, and it’s the fact that Rhodes never really fought back. One of the pillars of being a great babyface is that they never stop fighting. That’s what makes them noble and endearing to fans. I’m not saying Rhodes needed to beat down The Rock for an extended period of time. Only one swing would have sufficed for me, which is better than nothing.

With that said, I’d be willing to put money down on Rhodes getting his revenge on The Rock on next week’s episode of Raw, which will emanate from Brooklyn. The Rock and Roman Reigns are both scheduled to appear, and the running theme during that show has to be that Rhodes is out for blood, no pun intended. I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE is planning to produce one of its best pull-apart brawls in recent memory.

It’s wrestling booking at its most basic level, but it is being executed at its highest. WWE gave people a lot to digest this past Monday and somehow left myself and many others wanting more.

Allowing the wrestlers color outside of the lines, especially when you’re promoting the company’s most important show to date, is what’s really driving WWE’s business to a new level. That does not mean I am calling for the return of the “Attitude Era,” which can stay in the past where it belongs. However, I’m not against a few four-letter words slipping out as long as the network is good with it as well.

At the end of the day, it just makes sense. If you have The Rock at your disposal, well, let him be The Rock. Let him talk all the trash he needs to in order to get his point across. That’s what makes him great. If you have CM Punk at your disposal, give him a live microphone, a bare-bones script, and tell him to fill in the blanks. That’s what makes him great.

Never backing down from a fight is what makes Lynch great. By letting McIntyre be great, we realized that the man cut a heck of a promo and his social media trolling game is top notch.

And allowing the wrestlers to blossom into the stars that they could potentially be is what has made WWE such much fun to watch heading into WrestleMania. It’s been a while since wrestling fans can say that.

That is not to say that the rules and regulations of yesteryear have been completely tossed out of the window. There have been reports of some wrestlers complaining about the fact that they don’t get to play by the same rules as some of the bigger names.

But even if WWE doesn’t allow every wrestler to shout “f–k” and “dips–t” into the microphone every night, the roster has still benefited from this shift in philosophy. We’re seeing just how much right now.

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WWE production didn’t know CM Punk would curse in epic promo with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins

The CM Punk-Drew McIntyre-Seth Rollins promo segment was reportedly outlined but not heavily scripted this week on WWE Raw.

WWE might be cracking down on bad language in live broadcasts (except for The Rock since he’s, you know, the Final Boss), but CM Punk still managed to slip a curse into the amazing promo segment he had this week on WWE Raw with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

While the three men engaged in a memorable exchange of taunts and insults, Rollins asked the fans in attendance at the Allstate Arena near Chicago whether they’d want to see Punk as a guest commentator for his World Heavyweight Championship defense against McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. The fans suggested something else with a “referee” chant.

The injured Punk shot down Rollins’ barb that his counting arm is the one that’s hurt by doing a quick three-count with his left arm. He then added, “In all fairness, I really don’t think I could be objectively fair with these two dips–ts, so … ”

Whoever was on the bleep-out button was quick to ensure the curse didn’t go out over the air, but according to Fightful Select (subscription required), they also didn’t know what to expect in this relatively unscripted segment.

The promo was listed as one segment, and was produced by Adam Pearce, as there was physicality between Rollins and McIntyre. We’re told that WWE production wasn’t anticipating CM Punk’s line where he cursed, and there was a memo sent to talent recently that discouraged them from swearing on the air.

McIntyre was referencing that memo when he picked up the mic while seated at the announce table and deadpanned “PG, brother” in response to Punk. Fortunately, Fightful’s people also said they “haven’t heard of any issues backstage after the promos as it relates to heat or anything of that sort.”

By the way, you’ll want to do yourself a favor and watch the whole segment if you missed Raw live, because it really is a treat from start to finish.

Rollins and McIntyre will meet with Punk apparently calling the action when WrestleMania 40 night 2 takes place on Sunday, April 7.

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WWE Raw results 03/25/24: The Rock bloodies Cody, CM Punk makes Mania plans

The Fina Boss lived up to his word on WWE Raw from Chicago, much to Cody Rhodes’ detriment.

“Look in my eyes, what do you see? CM Punk on my TV!”

OK those aren’t the actual words to “Cult of Personality,” but they do fit the rhythm and also summarize the big selling point for WWE Raw tonight in (well really near) Chicago. Even though Punk won’t be able to compete at WrestleMania due to injury, there’s no reason he can’t address what is sure to be a rabid hometown crowd.

Considering Drew McIntyre keeps talking about him even while he’s out, Punk has stayed hot even while he’s been rehabbing his torn triceps. Our feeling here at Wrestling Junkie is that he and the Scottish Warrior are going to have a feud later this year, assuming McIntyre wins gold at WrestleMania.

Seth Rollins is going to have something to say about that, of course, and he might get involved in tonight’s festivities too. We know McIntyre is in town.

As for actual wrestling matches, WWE has promoted a bunch of those as well, including solo outings for Jey Uso and Sami Zayn, Ricochet taking on JD McDonagh, Andrade in action against Ivar, and new queen of the mean girls Candice LeRae battling Ivy Nile.

That’s plenty of reason to tune in even if you weren’t looking forward to seeing Punk, though you know you are. Here’s how it all unfolded.

WWE Raw results from Chicago:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are shown on the way into the building, after which we see highlights from the final segment of SmackDown that led to a standoff between Rhodes and Roman Reigns
  • Cody Rhodes is kicking us off, but The Rock is here too, and something he says to Cody has him a little shook
  • Jackie Redmond wants to know what The Rock said, but he suggest she ask Cody instead
  • The Judgment Day gets ready for tonight, with JD McDonagh saying he’ll handle Ricochet and Damian Priest suggesting he has a plan to have things in their favor heading into WrestleMania
  • Ricochet def. JD McDonagh by pinfall, shaking off distractions from Dominik Mysterio, who gets himself ejected from ringside before the finish
  • CM Punk has his homecoming, which turns into a discussion with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins about WrestleMania
  • A short video shows Shinsuke Nakamura saying he’ll be a nightmare for Jey Uso tonight
  • Candice LeRae def. Ivy Nile by pinfall, again taking shortcuts and again making Indi Hartwell look like she feels bad
  • The New Day and #DIY do some backstage bickering when they’re visited by The Awesome Truth; R-Truth is hyped because he thinks it’s going to be The New Day vs. DX, and is that Paul Heyman talking to McIntyre in the background?
  • The New Day vs. #DIY ends in a no contest as The Judgment Day attacks both teams, and Awesome Truth (who were on guest commentary) ends up getting hauled into the mess and laid out as well
  • Redmond finds Rhodes, but Cody says it’s something he can’t repeat but suggests “it’s a promise that he can’t keep”
  • Cathy Kelley talks to Gunther, who doubles down on his assertion that Sami Zayn doesn’t really think he can win at WrestleMania, or even beat Bronson Reed tonight
  • Andrade def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall
  • When are Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch finally going to throw down? How about right now
  • Chad Gable stops Sami Zayn and pleads with him to focus on his match tonight; Sami appreciates the tough love approach and says Chad is right, then shakes his hand
  • Bronson Reed def. Sami Zayn by pinfall after a distraction by Gunther proves costly for Sami
  • Jey Uso cuts his pre-match promo on Nakamura, but he gets a quick visit from Solo Sikoa, who says nothing, and Jimmu Uso, who says “no yeet”
  • Zayn laments to Gable that he knew what Gunther was doing and it still worked; Chad says that Sami needs a different approach, and they can talk about it
  • Rollins finds Jey and says something doesn’t feel right, but that he and Cody have his back so he can get that dub
  • Jey Uso def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall, despite The Bloodline and McIntyre scrapping with Rhodes and Rollins
  • That fighting continues to the backstage area, where The Rock attacks Rhodes with a variety of weapons, including trash cans, and they battle outside into the rain, where Cody is busted open while The Rock wipes his blood on the belt just as he said he would last week

The Rock manages to unsettle Cody Rhodes with just a whisper

What does Chicago want to talk about? Cody could say nothing, as the talk is kind of over this close to WrestleMania. After getting the fans to cheer for Pat McAfee and Michael Cole, Rhodes talks about how Roman Reigns said a lot during his media rounds last week.

A “Roman sucks” chant loudly rings through the arena while Cody says the idea that he’s not keeping his promises got under his skin. He’s actually done plenty of promise-keeping, even for people he doesn’t really know. Cody says he’s had to play the role of champion because the champion isn’t here.

Even though Rhodes says he’s done all of this without asking for anything in return, he does need something now: He needs the fans to ride with him for both nights of WrestleMania. Now he wants all 15,000 people in the arena to point at the WrestleMania sign with him, which they do.

That is quickly answered though, by the unadvertised arrival of The Rock, which also sends the fans into a frenzy. There are some “Rocky” chants among the boos, for sure. Oh, and some “holy s–t” chants that have to be blanked out.

After an extended staredown and a smirk from The Final Boss, The Rock simply whispers something to Cody and leaves The Ring, bringing “Rocky sucks” chants as he smiles and walks to the back.

CM Punk will be at WrestleMania, but will he get the last word with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre?

The fans in Chicago greet Punk warmly before he says he will definitely be at WrestleMania. He says his arm is not great and he’s not medically cleared, but his mouth works. Does that mean he will host WrestleMania? Ten years ago he said he would have felt that was beneath him, but now he wishes he could just be in front of the people.

What about being a referee? Is there a title match that could use an impartial referee? People sure like talking about him, though, and Punk mentions that Roman Reigns talked about him on Pat McAfee’s show, but he’s earned the right.

Seth Rollins also likes talking about him, but Punk also figures maybe he’s earned the right too. In contrast, The Rock hasn’t talked about him, but Punk likes to think it’s because he already knows his arms “were just too short to box with God.”

And then there’s Drew McIntyre. Punk says he’s been very quiet because in Chicago, if you have a problem you handle it face to face like a man. The Scottish Warrior arrives and promptly gets a dose of verbal venom, which gets the fans on him too.

McIntyre says he’d love to head to the ring but also reminds Punk of what happened last time that happened. As they argue about t-shirts, McIntyre claims he doesn’t hate Punk, because CM completes him.

They finally end up finding something to argue about: McIntyre calling himself The Chosen One. Punk wants to know who chose him, because it wasn’t the people.

Drew insists he wants CM to have a front row seat at WrestleMania to see McIntyre have his long awaited moment in front of a stadium full of live fans.

That, in turn, brings out Seth Rollins, and the fans reach full throat again. Rollins, of course, doesn’t like Punk and says he doesn’t get to make decisions about a WrestleMania main event when he’s not in it.

Still, Rollins decides to poll the crowd: Should Punk be on commentary? That “referee” chant suggests they’d prefer something out. Punk demonstrates he can count with his left arm but also says he doesn’t think he could be impartial with “these two dips–ts,” to which McIntyre hilariously quips “PG, brother.”

Seth insists he never even thinks about Punk but appreciates the irony of him calling Rollins’ finest hour. He says Punk can do whatever he wants at WrestleMania as long as stays out of Seth’s way.

Punk says it’s decided: He’ll do guest commentary and manage to actually make them both interesting. An angry McIntyre says Punk doesn’t get the last word, insisting that Punk is “my No. 1 Stan,” but he climbs in the ring as he’s talking and gets a superkick and a Stomp from Rollins.

Words finally turn to fists for Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch

Is Ripley getting enough attention? She tells Dirty Dom she doesn’t think so, saying Becky Lynch keeps fighting other people week after week. Though Rhea figures she could have attacked The Man at any time, she decided to be respectful.

Now she’s just getting impatient. Mysterio is about to throw in his two cents when Lynch’s music hits. Becky taunts Rhea about not ever wrestling on Raw any more, to which Ripley says she doesn’t need to be in the ring every week to get everyone’s attention. She can just post a photo or video online and “watch these freaks eat it up.”

They simply have different opinions on what being a champion is all about. Ripley agrees that Lynch is a survivor … or really a cockroach, since she’s hard to kill but not impossible. Rhea says she’ll leave Becky alive so she can sit on her couch and hear her daughter call Ripley Mami.

Lynch says if Ripley ever mentions her daughter again, it will be the last words Rhea ever utters. Neither her quips nor the title is a joke to Becky, even if they are to Rhea. Lynch also says when Ripley throws the first punch, there’s no going back, and neither of them will ever be the same again.

Dom holds Rhea back, but that gets him punched, and now Becky and Rhea are throwing hands. They battle onto the ramp, where referees finally arrive to separate them.

Jey Uso perseveres through chaos, pins Shinsuke Nakamura

It’s all yeets early, meaning strikes from Jey, but Shinsuke manages to fight back pretty quickly. The question is how long will it be until this all degenerates into chaos.

It won’t be until after the commercial break, when Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso emerge from the crowd and are quickly intercepted by Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Here comes Drew McIntyre too, who ends up giving Rollins a Future Shock on the floor.

Amidst the melee on the floor, Uso is able to superkick and spear Nakamura, ending the match.

CM Punk will be part of WrestleMania 40 … as a guest commentator

CM Punk isn’t cleared to wrestle but figured out a way to play a part at WrestleMania XL.

CM Punk is still recuperating from his torn triceps, an injury that cost him a chance to appear in one of the biggest matches at WrestleMania 40. Yet the Second City Saint will still be part of WWE’s biggest event of the year, playing a part in a match where he has personal issues with both combatants.

Punk’s role was revealed during the March 25 episode of Raw, which took place right outside his hometown of Chicago. While Punk tried to simply cut a promo, he was joined first by Drew McIntyre, someone who’s not only taken credit for the injury but consistently mocked Punk for the fact that it happened.

While they were exchanging some very personal barbs, they eventually had another visitor: World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who will defend his title against McIntyre in Philadelphia.

Of course Punk and Rollins don’t get along either, so there was tension between all three men. Despite that, Rollins agreed to poll the crowd to see if they wanted Punk to be part of the WrestleMania match. The chants said “referee,” but Punk agreed to be a guest commentator, promising to make both men interesting.

Punk legitimately isn’t cleared to return to the ring yet, but it’s always possible be could be involved in some physical spots at WrestleMania. Certainly, the vibes between the three men suggest he won’t be content to just sit at the announce desk and call the action.

We’ll find out soon enough, as Rollins and McIntyre will collide with Punk watching from very close by on night 2 of WrestleMania 40, which takes place Sunday, April 7 at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

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WWE Raw preview 03/25/24: CM Punk is home in Chicago

Here’s what to expect for WWE Raw from (near) Chicago, including both Jey Uso and Sami Zayn in action.

Yes, CM Punk is still injured. Does that matter when WWE Raw is coming to Chicago tonight?

No, no it does not.

Here’s what to watch for on this final Monday of March, less than two weeks out from WrestleMania 40.

What can CM Punk do to spice up the Road to WrestleMania?

Well, he’s still great on the microphone, right? We’d fully expect that the Best in the World will have a few interesting comments on how WrestleMania is shaping up, particularly since the champion we all thought he’d be facing in Philly (Seth Rollins) is on this show.

There’s someone else who won’t keep Punk’s name out of his mouth, however, and that someone is Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior has practically made trolling Punk his own cottage industry at this point, so it would be silly not to expect Chicago’s favorite son to address that tonight.

Can Jey Uso, Sami Zayn remain on track?

Both Jey Uso and Sami Zayn know what they’ll be doing at WrestleMania, competing in matches that have high emotional stakes for different reasons. Conveniently, the former Bloodline teammates (seems like a lifetime ago now!) both are in action tonight in the kind of “can’t afford to look past this bout” showcases that at their best can make pro wrestling feel more like unscripted sports.

Jey gets Shinsuke Nakamura, while Sami takes on Bronson Reed. Those are men who are prickly even in the best of times, and are certainly in foul moods now that their own chances at WrestleMania glory seem to have fallen by the wayside. Plus there’s always the chance that Jimmy Uso or Gunther could interfere, so … yeah.

Advertised WWE Raw card for Chicago 3/25/24:

  • CM Punk returns to Raw
  • Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed
  • Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh
  • Ivy Nile vs. Candice LeRae
  • Andrade vs. Ivar

You probably won’t want to miss this episode so close to the Show of Shows, but you can join us back here at Wrestling Junkie if you’re otherwise engaged for the latest WWE Raw results and updates.

Josh Barnett has spoken to CM Punk, Malakai Black about Bloodsport

Josh Barnett also threw out Chad Gable and even Bill Goldberg as possible fits for future Bloodsport cards.

When Shayna Baszler competes in Bloodsport X in Philadelphia during WrestleMania week, it will break a longstanding WWE prohibition against talent working outside the company. But Baszler isn’t the only big name Josh Barnett has spoken to about a potential Bloodsport appearance — in WWE or AEW.

Barnett appeared as a guest this week on Wrestling Junkie’s Under the Ring podcast with Phil Strum and shared some other names that are sure to raise some eyebrows among pro wrestling fans.

“I love giving people opportunity, and that’s a huge reason to do this,” Barnett said. “So if given the chance to bring other guys in, of course. I’ve spoken with Malakai Black now plenty of times about coming in to Bloodsport. I’ve spoken to CM Punk. It would be great to have Chad Gable or Bron Breakker or any number of people with amateur backgrounds.”

Barnett also put over NXT’s Charlie Dempsey as someone who’s caught his eye and would fit the Bloodsport mold.

“Charlie Dempsey, he’s out there showing catch-as-catch-can, and he spent the time abroad training for quite some time. And I’ve actually worked with him over distance for some years prior.

“But honestly, the kid’s been doing all his own work, because he really wants to be the type of wrestler that you think he is. It’s important to him, I can see.”

AEW’s Miro was another name that Barnett threw out as a potential fit. And Bill Goldberg is someone that he said “is like family to me.”

While the sky is pretty much the limit and Baszler certainly seems to have opened a door that was long shut and padlocked, Barnett says in the end, anyone be brings in has to want to be there as much as he’d like having them there.

“Whoever it is, they also have to really see this ring for what it is and what we’ve created and say, ‘That is something I gotta do.'”

Bloodsport X and the rest of the GCW Collective events during WrestleMania week can be seen live on TrillerTV+.

Booker T says he has no beef with CM Punk: ‘Don’t take it seriously’

Booker T was just “entertaining” when he talked about a near run-in with CM Punk at NXT.

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When a WWE legend and a popular (though currently injured) star almost get into it backstage, it’s big news, right?

Except in the case of Booker T and CM Punk, there’s nothing to see here. Source? Booker T.

The former world champion and NXT commentator started the buzz online in the first place after he made a comment on his podcast last week suggesting that he and Punk “almost got into it at NXT” when he saw Punk backstage. Booker then teased pretty much everyone by saying he didn’t want to talk about it more on the air.

Of course, that just stoked the fires of speculation, so while outlets like Fightful Select (subscription required) were already weighing in with skepticism from their sources, Booker took it upon himself to put those flames out on the latest episode of The Hall of Fame Podcast (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

I want to let everybody know out there, I have no ill will towards CM Punk. Contrary to popular belief, I consider CM Punk a friend. So when I’m saying something about CM Punk, do not take it literally, like the internet and these sites do. Don’t take it seriously. Don’t jump into that mud. If you hear me say anything here on ‘The Hall of Fame’, it’s show-related. I’m trying to entertain my fans. I’m trying to entertain the fans that’s watching this. I’m trying to give you guys a moment where you ain’t got to think about that kind of stuff. Alright? …

Did I put it out there? Did I say it, as far as I had a beef, I was going to run up? Yeah. I said it. I’m entertaining, guys.

It’s a welcome bit of clarification on Booker’s part since it’s harder than ever to know sometimes when wrestlers and commentators are in or out of character. Booker essentially just told the world that when it comes to his podcast, assume he’s not shooting.

Then again, he did bring this on himself by saying, “The internet might want to pick that up” last week, so perhaps lesson learned for him as well. In any case, given that Punk has been involved in some high profile honest to goodness backstage altercations in the past, it will be comforting for fans to hear that it’s all just part of the show this time.

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CM Punk returning to WWE Raw as he recovers from torn triceps injury

Though it’s not known exactly what he’ll do, CM Punk will be on WWE Raw ahead of WrestleMania 40.

(This story was originally published on USATODAY.com)

CM Punk is coming back to “Raw.”

WWE announced on Monday CM Punk will return to the weekly show on March 25, when “Raw” will take place in his hometown of Chicago at the Allstate Arena on March 25.

Punk’s appearance will be the first time he will appear on the show since he revealed he suffered a torn triceps at Royal Rumble, sidelining him for several months and taking him out of the WrestleMania 40 picture. The injury was his first televised match since he made his shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November, which also took place at Allstate Arena.

WWE did not reveal what Punk will be doing when he appears on “Raw” later this month.

“Questions remain around what the self-proclaimed ‘Best In the World’ will have to say when he addresses the WWE Universe in-person on Monday, March 25,” WWE said.

As part of the highly-anticipated return, WWE said it will open new seating areas to meet the demand of the sold-out show. The episode of “Raw” will come less than two weeks before WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

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