CM Punk rumors hit the internet again last week, and Matt Hardy is not acting like they are gospel.
Last week, unverified Punk speculation surfaced on social media, all alleging some form of tension between him and WWE and/or claiming that he has requested his release from the company. During The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, former WWE star Matt Hardy addressed the rumors and made it clear that Punk is always going to be an easy target for this kind of drama. Hardy said that when someone is as polarizing as Punk, people are always going to run with something.
“I think when you are a big star like CM Punk obviously is, and you have a history of some of the things CM Punk has, I think it’s easy for people to kind of run wild when it comes to the rumor mill.”
Hardy did not deny that Punk is complicated. In fact, he said that is part of why people keep looking for a bigger story every time Punk is off television or surrounded by online chatter.
“I don’t think that is something that is ever going to go away when it comes to a guy like him because he is such a complex individual. No doubt about it. A great wrestler, an amazing talker, an amazing character. He feels very legit, and even if you know him in life, he really stands ten toes on whatever it is he’s standing for. Whether he loves you or hates you, it is what it is.”
Then Hardy got blunt about the wrestling rumor mill. He said people make things up all the time, and Punk is not immune from that.
“With guys like that, there’ll always be people trying to dig in deeper going like, ‘There has to be some ulterior motive here. Things aren’t right, things aren’t right. There has to be an ulterior motive.’ And s** gets made up all the time in pro wrestling. I see stuff about me and Jeff and other guys that I know pretty well, and I would imagine that CM Punk is not immune from that either.”*
Hardy was then asked why Punk has not had more drama attached to him since returning to WWE. That is when Hardy drew a hard line between Punk’s AEW situation and his current WWE run. Hardy said Punk may have felt he could push things more in AEW because of Tony Khan’s lack of decades-long experience running a wrestling company.
“In some ways, maybe. Yes. But I do feel like when Punk was in AEW, he knew he had a hold on Tony Khan to a degree that he could kind of get away with what he wanted if he had something he was dead set on wanting to do. He could kind of flex his muscles and he could get away with it.”
Hardy said Punk knew WWE was different. According to Hardy, Punk came back and did not stir things up the way some people expected.
“I think he sniffed that out of Tony, from Tony not being around and running a wrestling company for decades or years, whatever. I think when he came back to WWE, he knew he couldn’t get away with that same type of attitude or mentality. It is what it is.”
Hardy went even further, saying Punk has looked like a model employee during this WWE run.
“He came back there and a lot of people thought he was going to stir up some sort of controversy or conflict, and he didn’t. He was a by-the-book guy and it seemed like he was a model company employee. I think it’s hard to dispute that. This guy even went to Saudi Arabia, and I’m sure that wasn’t on his bucket list of things to do. He did it because he’s like, ‘Okay, well, I’m with WWE and they’re doing it, so I’m going to toe the line.’”
Hardy also did not buy the idea that WWE would risk angering Punk with a pay cut. He said Punk is still a real draw, and companies do not usually mess with people who are still making them money. Hardy explained that Punk still sells tickets, merchandise, and interest in WWE programming.
“I don’t think they would. I mean, because he is a legitimate ticket mover. People buy tickets to get seats to see CM Punk. People spend money on pay-per-views and on WWE products to get CM Punk on their TV, to get CM Punk merchandise. He is a legit money maker, and if you’re a legit money maker, that is someone you don’t want to take a chance on rubbing them wrong and jeopardizing.”
Punk’s name always creates noise, but Hardy’s take was pretty clear. He does not sound convinced that WWE is trying to push Punk out, and he definitely does not believe Punk is someone the company should want to upset right now.
Do you think the latest CM Punk rumors are just internet drama, or is there something more going on? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
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