Well before CM Punk made his sensational return at Survivor Series last month, Seth Rollins had already positioned himself as the outspoken voice representing anyone in the WWE locker room wary of the company’s decision to bring back the controversial star.
Following the electrifying moment when “Cult of Personality” blared through Allstate Arena on Nov. 25, WWE ensured that Rollins’ reaction went viral, setting the stage for what seems inevitable: a feud between Rollins and Punk.
Reports suggest that Rollins was aware prior to the main event that Punk would be re-debuting at Survivor Series, despite his claim on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina that he found out when the music hit. Nonetheless, Rollins admitted to genuine emotions in that moment:
“It was an extremely emotional moment for me. Everyone knows how I feel about CM Punk. I’ve not made it any more transparent over the past few years. Nothing has changed in that regard. In that moment, I was extremely emotional and you got a lot of real and raw emotion from me.”
Colt Cabana (Credits: WWE)
Rollins also recounted needing to be calmed down backstage by his wife and others after the surprise return, hinting at footage potentially airing on Raw or SmackDown:
“My wife was there and I had a few people kind of corral me, I suppose. My wife is pretty good at understanding my temperament and making sure I’m level when I need to be.”
Delving into the personal issues underlying his conflict with Punk, Rollins criticized Punk’s perceived self-serving attitude and negative remarks about him and WWE:
“For a guy who, when I met him, kind of made it seem like he was all about giving back to the business, he really turned into a pretty, pretty selfish guy and really wanted to take more from the industry… I always just felt he was a fraud in that sense, or at least, he turned into one at some point in the last decade.”
Seth Rollins (Credits: WWE)
Despite the animosity, Rollins acknowledged the inevitability of a match with Punk, expressing confidence that it would deliver:
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, luckily we haven’t had to do that yet… If it is Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk, somewhere down the road — one way or another, it’s going to be magic.”
While Rollins indicated openness to reconciling outside the ring with Punk, he asserted his status as the Best in the World and willingness to make the matchup work:
“I’m almost 38, and I ain’t got time to hold all these grudges… He says he’s the Best in the World. That ain’t the case — I’m the Best in the World. I’ll make anything work, no matter who it is.”
The stage is set for what promises to be a compelling chapter in WWE, fueled by personal history and professional rivalry.
