Ryan Nemeth Clarifies Tweet Aimed at CM Punk Was an ‘In-Character’ Response

When CM Punk returned to AEW Collision, he referred to certain fans as soft, prompting Ryan Nemeth to fire back on social media with the post, “Literally the softest man alive.” Recently, Nemeth addressed his tweet directed at CM Punk, clarifying that it was written in character in response to Punk’s comments on AEW television.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Nemeth explained that as a heel, he felt compelled to respond to Punk’s character calling someone else soft on his first night back, particularly considering Punk’s injury history.

There are some things I can talk about and some things I can’t talk about. I can very happily tell you about my tweet. The top good guy on the TV show was missing for eight months due to what I was told was a triceps injury, right. On his very first night back, he, in character, called someone else soft. I thought, ‘Well, I’m a heel, this is a babyface, we both work for the same wrestling company. He gets injured more than anyone who has ever wrestled, and on his very first night back, in character, called someone else soft.’ I thought, ‘What else am I supposed to do? Of course I must respond to this. In character,’ and I did. Anything beyond that, I’m probably not safely able to talk about at this time. I think that’s a very reasonable thing for a bad guy heel to say in response to a heroic babyface who seemed to be a little hypocritical. Is that fair?” 

This comes after reports surfaced last year that a confrontation took place between Nemeth and Punk at Dynamite taping in Chicago, where Punk allegedly asked Nemeth to make good on his tweet. Nemeth reportedly apologized and the two shook hands, but tensions lingered still and Punk subsequently asked that Nemeth not appear on AEW Collision. Though it’s unclear if this was directly related to the tweet or other factors.

While Nemeth has not wrestled on AEW television since November 2023, his tweet and subsequent backstage interaction with Punk have created a wave of controversy within the wrestling community. Meanwhile, Punk has made his return to WWE but is sidelined due to a triceps injury. Stay tuned to Ringside News for more!

What your thoughts on the recent exchange between Ryan Nemeth and CM Punk? Let us know in the comments!