CM Punk has made it clear that personal feelings never interfere with his work inside the ring. In a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, Punk explained his approach to navigating difficult relationships in the business.
“I’m not going out to dinner with anybody. That’s the magic of our business, too. If you’re a true professional, you don’t have to even remotely like the guy you work with,” Punk said. “The business is built on trust… Some of them don’t like me. Some of them, I don’t care for. That’s the magic and the line we get to weave in and out.” (h/t Wrestling News)
That philosophy is being tested in his current programs with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, both of which have leaned heavily on Punk’s controversial WWE exit in 2014 and his later departure from AEW. These real-life storylines have become central to his return run.
The rivalry with Rollins will take center stage at Wrestlepalooza, where Punk will team with AJ Lee against Rollins and Becky Lynch in a high-profile mixed tag team match. On Monday’s Raw, Rollins escalated the feud with a final verbal jab, claiming Punk’s history proves he cannot be trusted and warning that he would ultimately abandon his wife in the match.
Backstage, that tension appears more than just scripted drama. A report from Fightful Select recently shot down rumors that Punk and Rollins had developed a friendship since Punk’s return, confirming their relationship is purely professional. It echoes Rollins’ past remarks labeling Punk “a cancer to the business”—a sentiment that now adds even more authenticity to one of WWE’s most personal rivalries.