WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 saw the return of CM Punk alongside Randy Orton and R-Truth. While the comeback of the latter two was met with positivity by the other WWE stars, CM Punk’s shocking return didn’t draw the same reactions out of stars such as Seth Rollins as it did from the crowd. But what’s the story between Rollins and Punk? Here’s all you need to know about their rivalry.
Why does Seth Rollins seem to hate CM Punk?
In the past, Rollins admitted that Punk helped his career a lot in his early stages, but hasn’t liked him in the last few years because of his self-centeredness.
After nine years, CM Punk’s return to WWE met with a great reception from the fans. But stars such as Seth Rollins weren’t too psyched about his comeback. After the pay-per-view event went off-air, Rollins was recorded flipping off at Punk, clearly being unhappy to see the AEW World Championship winner.
In the past, Rollins admitted that Punk helped him during his early days with The Shield. But after that, tensions built up between them, and he has never liked Punk ever since. In his past interview with Fox Sports Radio, Rollins said:
“I’ll end it on a positive note with him, that guy has given my career so much that it pains me to have to say bad things about him because he helped me out, he really did. He’s been a good guy to me for a lot of my career, but for whatever reason, the past maybe six or seven years, he’s been in a different headspace and we’re not on the same page.”
He continued:
“It’s always been about him. He has always taken and taken. He has never returned anything. I am not a fan. He has a lot to give back.”
This, followed by Punk’s return, clearly angered Rollins.
Was Seth Rollins’ reaction to CM Punk real or an act?
Seth Rollins’ reaction to CM Punk could be partially real, but it is reportedly being used to build a storyline for the coming future.
In early 2023, Rollins labeled Phil Brooks, aka CM Punk, “a cancer” and warned him to stay away. As per PWTorch, Rollins’ past comments and his reaction to Punk will be used to build up a rivalry between the two in the upcoming pay-per-view events such as the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
UPDATE: A video has been released of Seth Rollins cutting a promo about Punk during a live show:
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