Ryback and CM Punk probably aren’t about to grab dinner together, but The Big Guy is done carrying their old feud around. After years of very public bad blood, Ryback says he has finally moved on—and he’s actually happy to see Punk doing well.
Ryback addressed their history in a video posted to Twitter, where he was directly asked whether there was still any bad blood between them. His answer was no.
“CM Punk. Is there any bad blood? No, I don’t hold onto any hate with that man. I’ve said what I needed to say on it. He said what he said on it, and it doesn’t make sense to hold onto that forever. That doesn’t mean we’ll ever be friends or work together. It doesn’t serve me to hold onto that hate or that anger.”
That’s quite a shift considering how ugly things became between the two after Punk left WWE. Punk famously unloaded on Ryback while discussing his WWE departure in 2014, accusing him of being dangerous in the ring and claiming their matches left him injured. Ryback spent years disputing Punk’s version of events, and their issues became one of wrestling’s most frequently revisited grudges. Ryback isn’t interested in fighting that battle anymore.
“I’ve told the truth from the beginning on it. A lot of people love and support me on it. It doesn’t matter what people think. It’s all over with. People will rehash the past. It doesn’t serve me or benefit me, so I’m happy for him on everything. I’m happy he’s back.”
He even had something nice to say about Punk. Ryback doubled down in the accompanying tweet, explaining that he now views holding onto old grudges as a choice.
“I’ve learned in life it’s better to be happy for people or stay neutral on it because that controls our feelings. You’re choosing to get angry over something, right? So why am I? I’m happy for him. I think he looks great, and I’m happy for him. He’s gotten in better shape. I’ve found in life, and you’ll hear me repeat this all the time, happiness is a choice, and hating is a choice.”
He also took a shot at the wrestling ecosystem that keeps old controversies alive, arguing that dirt sheets, journalists, fans and content creators repeatedly drag years-old stories back into the spotlight because they generate attention.
“You see this all the time in wrestling. Dirt sheets, so-called journalists, fans, and creators will rehash events from years ago over and over again. They’ll retell an old story for a new generation, put their own version on it, and keep bringing up the past because it generates clicks and attention.”
Ryback’s answer to that is simply not participating anymore. That doesn’t mean Ryback suddenly considers Punk a friend, and he’s not pretending their history never happened. He’s simply decided it doesn’t need to follow either of them forever.
“But we don’t have to participate. At some point, the best thing we can do for ourselves is stop rehashing what’s already over and continue to build, grow, and focus on what serves us today. That doesn’t mean you have to become friends with someone. It doesn’t mean you have to have a relationship with them or pretend something never happened. It simply means you’ve made the choice not to keep giving your energy to something that ended a long time ago.Choose happiness. Choose growth. Keep moving forward.”
Ryback and Punk spent years as one of wrestling’s nastier real-life grudges. They may never be friends, they may never work together again, and Ryback clearly hasn’t changed his position on what happened between them. He just doesn’t hate Punk anymore—and after everything that’s been said between these two, that’s a pretty big place to finally leave it.
Do you think Ryback and CM Punk will ever completely bury the hatchet face-to-face? Let us know in the comments.
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