WWE superstar AJ Styles has shared his insights on the return of former WWE champion CM Punk. Punk, who returned to WWE in November 2023 after nearly a decade, made his comeback at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames in his hometown.
Punk returned after the men’s WarGames match, where Randy Orton also made his WWE comeback after 18 months. Before returning to WWE, Punk had a controversial run in Tony Khan’s promotion, AEW. During AEW All In in London, Punk was involved in a backstage altercation with Jack Perry. This incident led to Punk’s termination from the promotion while Perry was suspended.
After Punk was fired from AEW, speculation started circulating online about his potential return to WWE. The rumors gained momentum when WWE began teasing Punk’s comeback, such as Shinsuke Nakamura performing Punk’s signature move, GTS, and commentators making direct references to Punk. This buildup ultimately culminated in his return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames.
After his return, numerous WWE superstars have shared their perspectives on CM Punk’s comeback, with many expressing joy at seeing him back in WWE. The latest superstar to share an opinion on this matter is none other than AJ Styles, who had anticipated potential issues upon Punk’s return to WWE.
AJ Styles was anticipating conflict with CM Punk after WWE return
AJ Styles mentioned during an interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show that he had anticipated difficulties with CM Punk upon Punk’s return to WWE. When asked about his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to WWE in November, Styles mentioned his close friendships at AEW and initial expectations of challenges with Punk, only to find his assumptions were incorrect.
He stated, “I mean, if you know anything about AJ Styles and CM Punk, you would know that we really don’t care for each other. But if you want me to ruin everything that you think you know, I can. Past performance predicts future behavior, right? Some over at AEW are my best friends – love ‘em, trust ‘em, know ‘em. And I was expecting a problem when [Punk] came here – and I was wrong. The guy looks like he’s happy to be here. He looks like a guy that I’d want to step in the ring with and tear the house down with.”
It appears that Styles is willing to set aside personal feelings to wrestle with CM Punk. Both stars previously wrestled each other in 2004 in Ring of Honor.
