Before returning to WWE at the end of 2023, CM Punk openly criticised the company's decisions to hold shows in Saudi Arabia. For example, in 2020, he publicly bashed The Miz on X by saying, "Go s*ck a blood money-covered d**k in Saudi Arabia, you f**king dork."
He'd later apologise to the WWE veteran for his remarks. Still, some feel he's a hypocrite for challenging John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this weekend.
People are allowed to have a change of heart, but Punk faced a hostile reaction from fans during yesterday's Night of Champions Kickoff Show.
Addressing an unhappy fan in the crowd, the Best in the World said, "Legitimately had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia. I woke up crabby and I wrote a mean tweet to The Miz and I apologised to The Miz...and I sincerely apologise to all of Saudi Arabia. I’m not perfect by any means, sometimes as human beings we screw up."
"The beautiful thing is everything is a lesson learned, and now here I am and you’ve invited me into your country and I’m grateful to be here. Thank you very much," he added.
With that, fans in attendance started cheering for Punk, and he received a pretty warm reception on SmackDown as well. It remains to be seen whether he'll walk out of Saudi Arabia with the title, but WWE must have done something to make this trip worth his while.
You can see Punk's appearance, highlights from his memorable SmackDown promo, and the full Night of Champions match card below.
Undisputed WWE Championship Match
John Cena vs. CM Punk
King of the Ring Tournament Finals
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
Queen of the Ring Tournament Finals
Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Dominik Mysterio vs. A.J. Styles
WWE United States Championship Match
Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa
Street Fight
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross