The animosity Seth Rollins holds for CM Punk shows no signs of fading. While guest hosting The Rich Eisen Show, Rollins made it clear that his long-standing grudge against Punk is the one exception to his usual philosophy of letting things go, stating he will likely never be friends with the former champion.
“You know, I mean, my feelings on CM Punk are not hard to find. [I] Don’t like the guy, never liked the guy, haven’t liked the guy, probably never going to like the guy,” Rollins stated. “I often wonder if there is any world where CM Punk and I could be friends. Is there any world where I could not hate this dude? And so far, the answer is no. And I’m not a guy that likes to hold grudges. I find that grudges are — they take a lot of energy.”
He continued, contrasting his feelings for Punk with other past issues.
“I like to put my effort into good things, positive things. People I like, I love, not people I hate. I think he’s the one. I think he’s the one that … I mean, there’s some other guys who I’ve had bad experiences with, but you know, water under the bridge. Not with him. Not with old Phil Brooks.”
Rollins’ comments were prompted by a discussion about Punk’s upcoming World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther at SummerSlam. Punk earned his title opportunity by winning a Gauntlet Match on the July 14 edition of WWE RAW. Rollins offered no well-wishes, instead stating he hoped Gunther would turn Punk’s “chest into ground beef.”
This stance is consistent with Rollins’ previous actions and statements, which include calling Punk a “cancer” before his return and being visibly angered by his surprise appearance at Survivor Series in 2023. Despite the hostility, Rollins noted he could still be at SummerSlam on August 2-3 to watch the match, as he plans to be there supporting his wife, Becky Lynch, during her Women’s Intercontinental Championship defense against Lyra Valkyria.