MJF didn’t say CM Punk’s name, but his now-deleted Instagram Story had wrestling fans connecting the dots pretty fast.
After CM Punk beat Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship on RAW in Chicago, MJF uploaded a photo of Hulk Hogan winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 9. That moment is still one of the most controversial title changes in WWE history, since Bret Hart had just lost the title to Yokozuna before Hogan suddenly got involved and walked away champion.
The timing made the post hard to ignore. Punk had been gone for months, returned to television, got slotted into a title match, and beat Sami only nine days after Zayn finally became champion. For fans already angry about Sami’s short reign, MJF’s post looked like a pretty obvious shot at the situation.
The possible message wasn’t exactly subtle. Hogan’s WrestleMania 9 win has long been criticized because it felt like a bigger star swooping in and taking the spotlight after someone else had already done the work. That is the same comparison many fans were making after Punk beat Sami in Chicago and MJF was taking a jab at them, ripping off Hogan and Bret.
To be clear, MJF did not write out that comparison himself, and there is no guarantee that was his exact meaning. Still, posting that specific Hogan moment right after Punk’s title win gave fans plenty to work with.
The backlash over Sami’s loss had already been loud before MJF posted anything. Fans were furious that Zayn waited 13 years to finally become WWE Champion, only for WWE to end his reign after just nine days. One fan summed it up pretty bluntly: “Sami Zayn worked 13 years for a 9 day title reign… Yall should be ashamed”
MJF may have deleted the post, but the screenshot was enough to get people talking. Whether he meant it as a direct Punk jab or just a perfectly timed wrestling reference, fans saw the comparison immediately.
Do you think MJF was taking a shot at CM Punk’s WWE Title win with that Hulk Hogan post? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
