CM Punk was a guest on Friday's edition of The Pat McAfee Show and the Best in the World touched on several subjects. Among them was the main difference between working with WWE CCO Triple H and disgraced former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
It's hard to imagine Punk returning to WWE if the latter was still calling the shots. Triple H, however, brought him back into the fold at Survivor Series: WarGames at the end of 2023. Since then, they've put past differences aside and the Second City Saint has found huge success in WWE (he remains a firm fan favourite to win tonight's 30-man Royal Rumble match).
For Punk, the main difference with the way The Game calls the shots is that he's open to other people's ideas and feedback in a way his father-in-law was not.
"I think he’s receptive to other people’s ideas, whereas maybe Vince wasn’t. He was like, ‘I’m the boss. We’re doing this, and this is how we’re doing it.’ And that’s great. If you run a company, you need somebody who is the yes and no man and [has] the final say. But I think Triple H thinks he’s surrounded, and oftentimes is, by a lot of really, really genius wrestling minds."
"If he has an idea or see something one way, he’ll look at Michael Hayes and be like, ‘What do you think?’ He’ll turn and look at Paul Heyman. These are people who have Bonafide resumes. They have literally done everything you possibly could do in the sport. I think their voices should be heard. Not all the time everybody’s going to have this dynamite idea. But I think the best idea always wins in today’s WWE."
The Second City Saint also alluded to his time in AEW, reflecting on how people talk publicly about how great everything backstage is when, in reality, everyone hates each other. However, he was quick to point out that he's the happiest he's ever been to come to work right now.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Punk was asked repeatedly whether former WWE Superstar and his wife, AJ Lee, will make a surprise Royal Rumble appearance this weekend.
"There are no clues. There are no clues. She’s at home watching Larry," he insisted. Do we buy it? Fortunately, we're only hours away from finding out one way or the other.
Check out the full conversation with Punk in the player below.