WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels says he’s “happy and thrilled” to see CM Punk back in WWE.
CM Punk made his return to WWE at this past Saturday night’s WWE Survivor Series 2023 pay-per-view event, and the head of WWE NXT creative spoke with Peter Rosenberg on the “Cheap Heat” podcast to discuss Punk’s return, how the Voice of the Voiceless might feel about returning to the company after so much bad blood, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his reaction to CM Punk’s WWE return: “Like everybody else; happy, thrilled, Holy Cow. I got asked a couple months ago, ‘if you had a chance to use him, would you?’ Yeah, who wouldn’t? I understand business. I wasn’t always the most popular guy with people, but I was really good at my job. I feel like that’s one of the reasons I’ve had one here in the WWE for almost 40 years. I’m dependable and I’m good at my job. If you are that, there is always an opportunity here if you want one. I’m happy for him, I’m happy for the company. I’m happy for the WWE fanbase, the WWE Universe. Stories like this are always fantastic, even if they’re controversial, that’s part of what makes them fantastic. There are times, I don’t always know what’s going on. Truth be told, I don’t think sometimes they know what’s going on. Unpredictability is just that, unpredictable. That’s what makes this job so fantastic and so unique. That’s why we’ve continued to thrive for 40-plus years.”
On how Punk might feel returning to the company after so much bad blood: “Early on, it’s uncomfortable. After a while, you get used to it. Everybody would prefer to be liked. Second guessing is always going to on in this line of work. It is impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. In any line of work and any walk of life, anyone can say, ‘I like this guy and I get along with him,’ and they’re talking about him two minutes later. That goes for everyone, even the most liked individuals. He’s been doing this for a long time. I’ve always liked Phil and I always understood the…heaven forbid you have a different opinion. That kind of stuff doesn’t bother me. At one time, it did, and I didn’t have the maturity to accept and respect other’s opinions if they didn’t agree with mine. At one point, it might have bothered him. I would imagine he’s accepted it as a reality and is good with that.”
