CM Punk Reveals WWE’s “Secret Rule” About Going Over Time

CM Punk isn’t afraid to peel back the curtain—and this time, he’s revealing the unspoken truth about WWE’s time management rule.

In a new interview with SPORTbible to promote the WWE Unreal docuseries, Punk got real about how going over time works in WWE and why it’s not always a bad thing… as long as the segment is fire. Punk explained there’s a “secret rule” in WWE: you can push your time limit—if your segment delivers.

“It’s one of the secret rules. As long as it’s really, really good, you can get away with it. Going 20 minutes over and you suck, that’s no good.”

He made it clear that he tries to stay within his time, or even go short if he feels it helps the show. Respecting his fellow wrestlers—especially those in the next segment—is a big part of that mindset.

“I don’t want to cut into anyone else’s segment and there’s a lot of times I have X amount of time for something and I don’t think I need all that time, I’ll just go out there and go short. I would rather go short than long. If Rhea [Ripley] is in the next segment, I can nudge her and be like, ‘Hey, you guys need two minutes? I can give you two minutes’.”

Punk says that kind of mutual respect drives how the WWE locker room manages time on the fly. And while he’s careful about his own limits, some acts—like The Bloodline or The Rock—get more leeway when the crowd is red-hot.

“That’s the way a lot of the talent work together. I know there is a lot of Bloodline segments or stuff with The Rock, when it’s really good and the crowd’s going absolutely banana for it—you can’t really rush through it.”

He also broke down how overseas crowds factor into timing. When they’re locked in, WWE lets them run wild.

“The overseas crowds, they love to sing and they love their soccer chants. You want the fans to react and don’t want to step on that because that makes the moment special.”

CM Punk’s perspective shows how timing in WWE isn’t just about clocks—it’s about instinct, respect, and knowing when the crowd is truly locked in. He’s not here to hog the spotlight—he’s here to make sure the whole show clicks.