CM Punk can rub people the wrong way, fire back when he feels like it and carry himself like a guy who knows exactly how good he is — but Ace Steel says people have the WWE star all wrong if they think that means Punk has forgotten where he came from. Steel says Punk is still humble, still hungry to learn and keeps showing up around NXT because he wants to make damn sure the next generation gets something out of him.
Steel got into Punk’s mindset during his conversation with The Wrestling Classic, where he was asked what Punk still does today that reminds him of the guy he knew long before the championships, WrestleMania main events and massive WWE return. Steel didn’t dance around it — he said Punk’s confidence has always been there, but so has the humility.
“He’s still humble. He sat and did a Q&A, which I can’t even get through. To me, he’s been humble. I don’t care what people say. He’s confident. He’s confident in his abilities, and he’s never been—he doesn’t take [__] unless he has to. And he’s earned his stripes to get to the point where, but he’s still humble.”
Then Steel got to the part WWE fans have seen plenty of over the last few years — Punk hanging around NXT when he could easily be anywhere else. Steel says there’s no mystery behind it and no hidden agenda either, because Punk wants to help the people coming up behind him.
“You know why he goes to NXT? He wants to give back to those people. Do you know why he came to my wrestling school beyond our bond? Is he wants to give back to those kids sitting right there? That’s what he wants. He wants this next generation.”
Punk has said the same thing himself. He previously explained why he keeps showing up backstage at WWE NXT and the Performance Center, making it clear he wants younger talent to have help and guidance that wrestlers from his generation didn’t always get.
He hasn’t just been showing up to shake hands and disappear either. Punk shockingly wrestled an NXT live event main event in Petersburg, Virginia in August 2026, teaming with Tavion Heights and Myles Borne against Vanity Project before later saying his “heart is so full” after getting to work with the NXT crew.
There was something in it for Punk too — and he admitted it. Punk later explained the real reason he wanted the NXT live event match, saying he wanted more opportunities to wrestle and stay sharp instead of sitting around waiting for his next major WWE match.
That same attitude apparently follows Punk outside WWE. Steel said Punk was already spending time with him during a recent visit and could have easily called it a night, but when Steel floated the idea of coming to his Foundation of Wrestling school, Punk actually moved his flight so he could stick around.
“He’s got his career in full swing. He’s got that going on. He could have taken the night off. He could have—he didn’t have to over his couple days. He could have went and flown out. I saw him. We had lunch. We worked out. But when I said, ‘Hey, would you like to come by?’ He said, ‘I would love to. I’ll move my flight to Thursday.’”
Steel doesn’t advertise when Punk is coming either, and that’s by design. He wants to know which students are actually showing up to grind and which ones would only come running because they heard CM Punk might be in the building.
“And I don’t tell people that he comes in because I never want them to think. And then maybe he gets kind—maybe gets swept away. You never know. They might have called him and said, ‘Hey, we need you for this appearance or we need you for—’ You never know what it is, right? Or maybe he wasn’t feeling good that day.”
Steel said the students who show up anyway are the ones who get the payoff. If Punk happens to walk through the door that night, they suddenly find themselves training with one of the biggest names in wrestling instead of just watching him from across the room.
“I just see who shows up because I don’t want people to show up because they want the spectacle there. I want them to show up because they want to show up to training. And those are the ones that get the benefit of working out with him.”
And Punk apparently isn’t showing up to stand around with his arms crossed and play wrestling professor. Steel says Punk still gets in the ring, works with everyone and even looks for things he can steal for himself because, after all these years, he still thinks there’s something else to learn.
“And again, he gets in the ring. He gets in a ring and moves around with everybody. He wrestles with everybody. And I—I don’t—I think he’s the same in that respect. I really do. And he wants to get better. He does. It’s just crazy to say about the Best in the World. No, there’s a new trick he’s got. I’ll take that.”
Punk doesn’t need NXT to keep himself relevant, and he sure as hell doesn’t need to move flights around just to get reps with wrestling students. That’s what makes Steel’s explanation stand out — for all the noise that has followed Punk throughout his career, the guy is still walking into training rooms, getting in the ring and trying to leave the next group of wrestlers a little better than he found them.
What do you think about Ace Steel saying CM Punk is still humble and keeps showing up in NXT because he wants to help the next generation? Do Punk’s actions back up what Steel is saying? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
