Several times during their recent feud, Seth Rollins and CM Punk have hinted at the origin of their beef, but the story as a whole still remains somewhat murky. In a recent interview for WWE YouTube channel, Rollins tried to shed light on the origin of the friction between the two men. Rollins hasn’t been shy about acknowledging his past admiration for Punk, suggesting they were quite close at one point, and when WWE backstage correspondent Jackie Redmond asked Rollins if the hatred came from a place of love, he accepted.
“I started out as a CM Punk fan and I’m not ashamed of it,” he said. “He was someone I thought I could support. And at some point in the future, maybe there will be a version of me that’s a fan of CM Punk again. …(but) all he did indicate to me that in no way has the way he changed, it’s just this facade that he puts forward.”
Rollins said Punk ghosted many of his WWE friends when he left the company in 2014. He suggested Punk projected the contempt he felt toward WWE onto anyone who still chose to work there .
“I struggled for so many years after this betrayal,” he said. “And I never got an apology. You could have even just said, ‘Hey man, I need some time. I need some space.’ I would have (understood), but he never gave us that.”
Punk abruptly left WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble, citing, among other things, inadequate treatment by WWE medical staff. Upon his return at Survivor Series 2023, many fans noted Rollins’ negative reaction in the ring, although WWE cameras primarily focused on Punk and the fans. Punk’s post-match comments following his victory over Rollins on January 6’s “Raw” hinted that their feud might be over, but that remains to be seen.
