Shawn Michaels comments on CM Punk's return.
CM Punk made his surprising return to WWE at Survivor Series, coming out at the end of the show to a warm reception from the Chicago crowd. It was Punk's first appearance in WWE since 2014 when he left after Royal Rumble 2014 and spoke out about how he was treated, leading to a lawsuit between him and WWE's Dr. Chris Amann.
Punk returned to wrestling in 2021, joining AEW, but was suspended in 2022 due to a backstage altercation and then fired in 2023 due to another backstage altercation.
Speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Shawn Michaels was asked about Punk's return.
"Like everybody else; happy, thrilled, Holy Cow. I got asked a couple months ago, 'if you had a chance to use him, would you?' Yeah, who wouldn't? I understand business. I wasn't always the most popular guy with people, but I was really good at my job. I feel like that's one of the reasons I've had one here in the WWE for almost 40 years. I'm dependable and I'm good at my job. If you are that, there is always an opportunity here if you want one. I'm happy for him, I'm happy for the company. I'm happy for the WWE fanbase, the WWE Universe. Stories like this are always fantastic, even if they're controversial, that's part of what makes them fantastic. There are times, I don't always know what's going on. Truth be told, I don't think sometimes they know what's going on. Unpredictability is just that, unpredictable. That's what makes this job so fantastic and so unique. That's why we've continued to thrive for 40-plus years," said Michaels.
Michaels said that Punk's return proves the saying "never say never" to be true because you just never know.
When asked how he thought Punk might feel walking back in given his history with the company and people in the company, Michaels replied, "Early on, it's uncomfortable. After a while, you get used to it. Everybody would prefer to be liked. Second guessing is always going to on in this line of work. It is impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. In any line of work and any walk of life, anyone can say, 'I like this guy and I get along with him,' and they're talking about him two minutes later. That goes for everyone, even the most liked individuals. He's been doing this for a long time. I've always liked Phil and I always understood the...heaven forbid you have a different opinion. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me. At one time, it did, and I didn't have the maturity to accept and respect other's opinions if they didn't agree with mine. At one point, it might have bothered him. I would imagine he's accepted it as a reality and is good with that."
Fightful Select reported "CM Punk was seemingly in good spirits, and seemed happy to be around" on Monday's WWE Raw.
Fans can watch Punk's promo from WWE Raw in the video above.
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