Bobby Fish has never been afraid to speak his mind, and sometimes that has landed him in hot water with fans online.
One moment which sparked a great deal of controversy came after he made a series of disparaging comments about CM Punk. Speaking back in September the star reflected on a match the pair had while he was with AEW and Fish said that he hadn’t been impressed with Punk’s conduct after the bout, bluntly adding that he was a “c*nt.”
These comments came after the former NXT star challenged Punk to a fight after he got into the now-infamous backstage brawl with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
During an exclusive interview with Nick Hausman for Inside The Ropes, it was put to Fish that his comments about fighting Punk were like “hitting a bees nest with a baseball bat.” In response, Fish said that while he could see where that thinking comes from, Punk “challenged friends of mine” and took it there first.
With regard to his own feelings on Punk, Fish said that he doesn’t need to like everyone he works with, and his personal feelings won’t stop him from being professional.
“I have really no opinion on the man. I mean, it just is what it is. I don’t like or need to like everyone that I work with. And vice versa, but like, I’ll never not be professional, but that it’s in the eye of the beholder, you know, as to what’s considered professional and what’s not. And people, human beings have a need to be tribal. So everybody’s looking to be on a team. So that means, if I like you, I gotta hate him. And if I hate him, I gotta like you. So it’s like, it’s just human nature.”
Bobby Fish – “Pro Wrestling Has Taken A Wrong Turn”
If reports are to be believed, CM Punk is set to return to AEW on June 17th at the United Center for the first-ever episode of Collision. However, it has been widely reported that Punk and The Elite haven’t made amends and the Young Bucks in particular have no interest in working with the star.
Meanwhile, the launch of the new show is set to spark something of a roster split, although the true nature of this split is unknown.
When questioned on Punk’s impending return and what that could mean for the locker room, Fish said that fan focus shouldn’t be on what’s going on backstage. The former NXT Tag Team Champion said that the emphasis should be on the storylines on-screen and not what happens behind the curtain, adding that pro wrestling has taken a “wrong turn.”
“Well, I mean, therein lies I think some of the problem. What should be interesting is, in this case, it would be AEW and Tony Khan. What should be interesting, and what people should be following is what’s being written, storyline wise, and what they’re doing there, that that should be where the fans invest their time and energy.
But everybody invests their time and energy in the, you know, whatever they think the perception is of what’s going on behind the scenes, etc, etc. And it’s like, where does the work begin and where does the shoot end? And where it’s like, if that’s what you’re tuning in for — I don’t know, I just think somewhere along the lines, pro wrestling has taken a wrong turn.”
There is yet to be any official statement from CM Punk or AEW about his return or the launch of the new Saturday night show Collision. However, an announcement regarding Collision is expected in the coming days.
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