CM Punk Recalls AJ Lee’s Emotional Reaction to His 2024 Royal Rumble Injury

CM Punk’s WWE return at the 2024 Royal Rumble was supposed to be a triumphant moment—but instead, it ended with a torn tricep and months on the sidelines. Now, ahead of this year’s event, Punk is reflecting on that night and how his wife, AJ Lee, reacted when he called her with the bad news.

Speaking with Jackie Redmond, Punk admitted he broke down before even dialing her number.

“I gave myself a good eight-minute cry before I called my wife and told her, ‘Hey, I got hurt.’ I could cry for 45 minutes, and the instant I actually try to vocalize something like that to her, I’ll still blubber.”

While Punk was devastated, AJ Lee wasted no time reassuring him that they’d get through it together.

“She said, ‘Just come home, I’ll take care of you, we’ll get over it, we’ll get through it.’ That’s what we did. That’s what she does for me. Always has my back.”

With Punk now back in action and set to compete in the 2025 Royal Rumble, the question remains—will this year’s event deliver the comeback moment he was robbed of last time?