The best wrestling storylines are rooted in truth, and to viewers, it certainly seems like CM Punk and Seth Rollins won't be exchanging Christmas cards any time soon. How much Punk and Rollins actually dislike each other has been the subject of speculation since Punk returned at Survivor Series 2023.The tension has been palpable whenever they have exchanged words on WWE programming or it could just be stellar acting.
On "Busted Open Radio,"wrestling veteran Bully Ray offered insight on how legitimate their animosity might be, especially considering they've managed to co-exist backstage without incident for more than a year.
"No matter how much the boys hate each other, if we're around each other for a year eh, things kind of subside,"Ray explained."Our professionalism kicks in. We're not best friends, but we're on a 'hello' and 'goodbye' basis. Cordial, professional courtesy."
But, Ray revealed that he reached out to a trusted contact within WWE to gauge how real their hatred is,and the answer may be closer to what's unfolded on-screen than fans realize.
"The word that I got from a very, very, very trusted friend and confidant within the WWE was, these two guys, although maintaining the utmost levels of professionalism, do not like each other to this day," Ray suggested. "Seth Rollins does not like CM Punk at all [and] Punk can't stand what Rollins has turned into. There is very, very real animosity."
Despite their feelings for each other or perhaps because of them the two men delivered a mat classic on the Netflix debut of "WWE Raw." Whether there were any stiff shots fired is something only they would know. Punk appeared confident and injury-free in a post-match interview where he set his sights on winning WWE gold in 2025. Whether WWE intends to expand on Punk's feud with Rollins remains to be seen.
Please credit "Busted Open Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
