Stone Cold Steve Austin gives his thoughts on CM Punk.
There was a time when Stone Cold Steve Austin would have come out of retirement for a match with CM Punk. Of course, Austin and Punk never got the opportunity to wrestle one-on-one, but they were able to build a bond through the years, and Steve Austin has nothing but praise for the former AEW World Champion.
Talking with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes, Austin discussed his bond with Punk and why he believes CM Punk is smarter than him.
“Man, I just sent Punk a message last night,” Austin said. “I didn’t know he had torn his triceps. I haven’t been following anything. I don’t know what’s going on with that. Me and Phil trade messages every here and there. We rarely talk, probably once or twice a year.
“I love the guy, and I don’t even know if I mentored him because Punk’s probably a lot smarter than I am. Great promo guy, great worker, he’s got his own thing going, and we’re just friends," Austin added.
Austin reflected on a picture that he still has of himself and Punk during a time they met each other in Chicago.
“I think I remember there’s a picture of myself and him from Chicago, my favorite town to work in, my favorite building,” Austin said. “I guess he had come down to where we were all hanging out. Maybe he looked up to me back in the day, but I don’t know if I so much mentored him because I think he paid his own dues. He learned it the way he did, and he got over on his own merits. The fact that maybe I could have been somewhat of an influence would be flattering if that were the case. But he’s made his own career.”
CM Punk is currently with All Elite Wrestling and is expected to return alongside the launch of AEW Saturday Collision.
However, Warner Bros. Discovery recently issued a statement saying that CM Punk is not affiliated with the program. Read more here.