Backstage Reaction to CM Punk’s Unscripted Promo Blasting Hulk Hogan on 1/20 WWE RAW

CM Punk had zero hesitation in calling out Hulk Hogan during his promo on the January 20 episode of WWE Raw, and now it’s been confirmed that his savage Royal Rumble threat was completely unscripted.

During a live interview with Jackie Redmond, Punk doubled down on his belief that no one could stop him from winning the 2025 Royal Rumble, throwing out names like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn. Then, he decided to take things up a notch, delivering a direct shot at The Hulkster:

“You put Hulk Hogan in the Royal Rumble, I’ll throw his dusty ass over the top rope, and I’ll kill Hulkamania once and for all.”

According to Fightful Select, this line wasn’t part of the original script—Punk went completely off the cuff with it. However, WWE officials didn’t seem to mind, as sources backstage reportedly laughed at the comment rather than seeing it as a problem. There is no heat on Punk for making the remark, which only adds to speculation that WWE is giving him more creative freedom on the mic.

Punk’s disdain for Hogan is well-documented and goes back over a decade. In past interviews, Punk has been vocal about not respecting Hogan, even calling him out for past controversies. This latest shot only adds to the ongoing tension between the two, but as of now, Hogan has yet to respond.

Not everyone was on board with Punk’s comments, though. Vince Russo criticized him for taking a cheap shot at Hogan just to get a reaction from the crowd. Hogan, who has never been shy about defending his legacy, could still address Punk’s words, but for now, he’s staying quiet.

Will Hogan fire back, or will he let Punk’s words go unanswered? Could this somehow lead to an unexpected WWE appearance from The Hulkster? Drop your thoughts in the comments.