CM Punk has looked back on his memorable WWE return in 2023 and how the environment backstage was anything but calm.
Following on from Punk’s termination from AEW and Survivor Series 2023 being held in Chicago, rumblings began as to whether or not hell would freeze over and the former World Champion would actually return to the company he walked out of almost a decade prior.
With no hints from the company themselves and the PLE about to conclude following the WarGames match, many accepted that the return rumours were actually nothing more than just rumours. However, as the camera panned out to a very wide shot and the static played over the speakers, the Allstate Arena erupted as Punk walked out to the top of the stage. Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, it turns out what happened seconds before was anything but straightforward.
Appearing on the debut episode of O’Shea Jackson Jr. and T.J. Jefferson’s podcast No-Contest Wrestling, Punk first recalled being brought into Gorilla moments before and briefly meeting with some familiar faces:
“Because I got brought into Gorilla, and I don’t think people knew. I think people were just piled in there because it’s the end of the show, and there’s social media people who are going to be filming winners and losers coming through the curtain, they’re doing their job and stuff like that. I remember being in Gorilla [at Survivor Series] and all of a sudden I get bear-hugged from behind and as I kind of turn around to see who it is, it’s Bayley. She’s like, ‘I f*cking knew it!’ She’s like, ‘As soon as they started yelling at us to clear the hallway I knew it!!!’ And she’s not letting go of me.
Then, Triple H is there. Stephanie, I remember seeing her and having a moment with, just somebody I haven’t seen in 10 years. People were like, ‘Oh, they hate each other.’ Regal [laughs], I remember looking at Regal and Regal going [look at us].”
CM Punk Looks Back On The Chaos
Continuing, Punk recalled being told by Triple H to walk to the cages but being confused as to whether that meant the cages at the top of the ramp or the WarGames cage, resulting in a communication breakdown seconds before he walked out in front of an emphatic Chicago crowd:
“But there were just so many people in there, and then I don’t know what to do. I absolutely lose my composure. All I know is I’m coming out. But I don’t know what the set looks like, I don’t know if there’s a ramp. I’m literally in the dark. So I’m trying to talk to Triple H over the table, and it’s so loud and there’s so many people and they hit my music and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. What am I doing?’ And he’s like, ‘Go out and walk down to the cage.’ And I’m like, ‘Go out and walk all the way down to the cage!?’
He was trying to tell me that there was two cages for the babyfaces and the heels for WarGames and he wanted me to walk down and stand in-between them. So in my head, I’m like, I’m marching all the way to the cage and he’s like, ‘No!’ My music’s playing, and we’re going back-and-forth and we’re both freaking out. He went, ‘No!’ And he rips his headset off and I’m like, ‘Oh God! What are we doing!?’
Obviously, we figured it out. But the chaos backstage, I mean, it’s last minute, there’s so much stuff going on back there and they film everything now so I’m sure someday we’re gonna see a lot of cool stuff. It was just such a great moment and I love that chaos and that uncertainty again. I was like, man, I could just drink it up all day. But when the music hit, it was deafening!”
Also in the interview, CM Punk detailed the chaotic contract talks.
In other Triple H news, a top WWE star credited the Chief Content Officer for their own rise.
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