When CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in November 2023, Seth Rollins' furious reaction quickly went viral. The plan had been for them to clash for the World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania, only for Punk's injury at the Royal Rumble PLE to derail those plans.
The Second City would go on to feud with Drew McIntyre but finally clashed with Rollins during the first RAW on Netflix. However, if this year's Rumble was any indication, things aren't over between the two men.
During a recent interview, Rollins talked more about his real-life issues with Punk, the different ways they perceive their shared history, and how much fun that makes it for fans to follow.
"That’s the beauty of what we do. We don’t have to pull punches. We can get it all out there. It’s almost like a therapy session on live TV. There is a lot of personal history there between me and CM Punk, and different perspectives. He’s on a different side of and is ten years older than I am. He sees our relationship a lot different than I did. It’s been very interesting to kind of lay all of this out to the world because I think people see it from both sides, especially someone who might be a fan of CM Punk."
"They root for him and want him to come back and long for him to come back to WWE. Then you hear the side of the people who he sort of stepped on along the way, with no apology and no remorse. You start to hear that and ask questions about, ‘Whose side am I really on here? Who is a good guy, and who is a bad guy?’ I think that’s what makes it interesting. For me, it’s been an interesting time and year to lay all of that out, stuff I’ve kept inside for a long time. You see it pop out here and there in little interviews. Now, I finally get a microphone and be able to unload on the guy. The truth is the truth, and sometimes it hurts."
While Rollins missed out on battling Punk at the Show of Shows, he teamed with Cody Rhodes to square off with Roman Reigns and The Rock in the WrestleMania Night 1 main event.
It's become clear in recent weeks that the Final Boss has no intention of wrestling at this year's Showcase of the Immortals in Las Vegas. However, Rollins is confident that we will see The Rock step back into the ring in the not-too-distant future.
"You get in there one time, and you might think you can do a full schedule, but I don’t know if it’s as easy as it looks. You get in there, you do one, and you go, ‘Okay, I can do this.’ He’s smart enough to know his days of doing it full-time has come and gone. Do I think he can get in there and do one more or a couple more? Absolutely. He was in prime condition and ready to go. He was a game opponent. For a guy that hasn’t done it in ten years, that’s really hard. It is like riding a bike, but it’s not one time. You need to get in there and get your reps in to get your mind where it’s at."
"He was an incredible performer that night. He was able to slip back into it. It was an honor for me to be in the ring with him. That’s a guy who is a Hall of Famer and a legend in our business. He’s on the Board of Directors now as well, so he’s continued to help that side of the business. It was a fun ride getting in there and to be able to stomp the crap out of The Rock."
You can check out the full interview with Rollins in the video below.