Former WCW boss and WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff is nothing if not outspoken, and he's never shied away from criticising CM Punk. However, despite being a longtime critic of the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, it seems he's finally buried the hatchet with the Second City Saint.
Talking on the latest edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff revealed that he bumped into Punk backstage at the recent edition of RAW, paying tribute to the late Hulk Hogan. It was then that they put their long-running public feud to rest.
"I’ll just tell you what I said," he started. "I said, 'Man, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve said some pretty stupid sh*t. Just want you to know I’m glad to have an opportunity to meet you in person.' I’ll give you my half of the conversation, and he can do with that what he wants."
"His reaction, the approach, the honesty is, is what made me a CM Punk fan," Bischoff continued. "He’s a very honest guy. I got a pretty good feel for him and what he’s about. And I think when you actually get to know the person behind the character, you’d be surprised at just how solid some of these athletes are. They’re solid human beings."
When his co-host, Conrad Thompson, wondered if Hogan's passing played a role in the two men putting their "swords down." To that, Bischoff said, "I don’t think it was that. I think it was, you know, again, here’s a guy that I never met in person up until that point."
Bischoff has been far more complimentary of Punk in recent years, and the Best in the World has been making a habit of moving past old rivalries and issues. His return to WWE seems to have done Punk the world of good, and no one has a bad word to say about him...unless they work for AEW, of course.
Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, only to lose it immediately to Seth Rollins when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
As for Bischoff, he's focused on launching his and Hogan's Real American Freestyle promotion (which debuts later this month). There's been chatter about the debut show struggling to sell tickets, but the promotion has a TV deal thanks to Fox Nation.
Will Punk share his side of this conversation? We'll have to wait and see.