Road Dogg Reveals Why He Hated CM Punk for Years

CM Punk left WWE in 2014 with a backstage reputation that many believed would cause problems for him in the long run. Road Dogg was one of Punk’s most vocal critics and he didn’t like Punk for a long time. He made his surprising return at the 2023 Survivor Series Premium Live Event and now, Road Dogg has revealed his reasons for hating CM Punk.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Road Dogg talked about his past with CM Punk, saying that for 10 years, he thought they hated each other. In his mind, he hated Punk and assumed Punk didn’t like him either. Over the years, they had good and bad moments.

“So, CM Punk—I thought he and I hated each other’s guts for 10 years. In my head, I hated him, and I thought he hated me too. A lot of stuff happened back and forth, good times and bad.”

When Road Dogg saw Punk again after his return, Punk stood up and hugged him. That moment broke the ice, and Road Dogg realized that Punk probably never even thought about their issues. He understood that it didn’t matter what Punk thought of him, and it didn’t matter what he thought of Punk. At 55 years old, he saw that he had been holding onto something that wasn’t even real, there were no bad feelings between them.

“But then, the first time I saw him when he came back here, he stood up and hugged me. And it broke the ice immediately. It hit me right there—’Hey Brian, he hasn’t thought a thing about you.’ You know what I mean? Like, it doesn’t matter what he thinks about me, and it damn sure doesn’t matter what I think about him. I realized that. And here I was, at 55, holding onto something that wasn’t even there. There were no bad feelings—it was weird.”

Road Dogg also said the Second City Saint is a different person now. At one point, he told Punk he appreciated his attitude, and Punk stated that no one had ever told him that before.

“He’s a different dude today. I told him not long ago, ‘Hey man, I really appreciate your attitude.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s the first time someone’s ever said that to me.’“

Road Dogg admitted that he and Punk had argued in the past, just like Punk had with many others. Punk didn’t mind upsetting people, and sometimes it was over things he might not have even known about. When asked what his issues with Punk were about, he noted it was the time he was working with Punk in Baltimore with Billy Gunn, and Roddy Piper was there too.

“Me and him butted heads. He butted heads with a lot of people. He doesn’t mind if he ruffles feathers. It was over stuff that he probably didn’t even know about. I know me and Billy did a thing with him in Baltimore—Roddy Piper was there.”

Even The Undertaker recently stated that CM Punk is a much different person and way more involved and friendly compared to his previous run in WWE. Regardless, Road Dogg is simply glad that he and Punk are now on better terms, and that’s what matters most.

What do you think? Do you believe Road Dogg’s comments show personal growth, or does it seem like he just went with the flow once Punk was welcomed back? Drop your thoughts below!

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