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CM Punk reduced to tears by WWE star as he ends 12-year wait with historic UK appearance
CM Punk continues to enjoy his return to WWE as the company wows fans on its latest European tour. After close to a decade away from professional wrestling’s biggest entity, CM Punk made an epic comeback at Survivor Series at the tail end of 2023. Major events are WWE’s priority in 2025 as ‘house shows’ begin to fall awayGetty A figure often thought of as controversial and hot-headed given his willingness to always speak his mind, Punk has enjoyed and endured a topsy-turvy relationship with WWE. Departing there under the cloud of a bitter separation in 2024 that left him so disillusioned that he quit the industry altogether, Punk has, to the outside world, returned to the game an entirely different figure. Widely thought to be a more considered individual who has invested his time as much in others, and the future of WWE via NXT, as much as his own interests, Punk has remained a top-level performer. His feuds with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre have ranked amongst the best in the Chicago native’s career – and he looks to be having the time of his life. He’s been part of WWE’s latest jaunt overseas to Europe and will likely appear on both Monday’s Raw from Glasgow and SmackDown which airs from London’s O2 Arena on Friday night. Before that, however, he’s been taking part in something of a rarity – non-televised live events. Once a staple part of the WWE calendar in years gone by with three or four held per week in addition to televised shows like Raw and SmackDown, ‘house’ shows are all but a thing of the past. With the company pulling big business with sellout crowds around the globe, the start of the current overseas tour marks the first non-televised events since the turn of the year. A three-month stretch without them would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago in Punk’s first tenure, but it seems the business is changing, and the 46-year-old looks as though he knows it. In England on Sunday, he teamed with WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes in a major match as part of a show in Nottingham – they downed the pairing of Gunther and Solo Sikoa. CM Punk (left) is one of WWE’s top performers in his second spellWWE Punk’s current war with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will likely feature at WrestleManiaWWE It came a night after the Second City Saint toiled with Gunther in a world title match in Belfast, the shows marking the first non-televised events in the UK for 12 years. Back in 2013, he teamed with Daniel Bryan to defeat Erick Rowan and Luke Harper in Minehead before his WWE exit and all the drama that followed. Before his outing in Nottingham, WWE cameras caught Punk in an emotional state as he sat on the edge of the ring watching Rhodes – established as the biggest WWE star of the present day – making his entrance. Rhodes sat beside his former rival before Punk appearing to tell him he had cried or was crying, the champ briefly taken by surprise before comforting his colleague as they shared a smile and an embrace. The pair then made their way to the ring, Punk following Rhodes after appearing to dab a tear from his eye. In a post on X, WWE simply wrote: “Sometimes you just need a moment to take it all in…” Rhodes and Punk took a moment before their tag team matchWWE The intimate moment with Rhodes and Punk’s emotion were captured at the Nottingham showWWE In reply, one fan insisted: “I never, ever thought I could be a Punk fan. This damn man is winning me over. I absolutely appreciate how happy he seems.” Another echoed: “Punk really is living his best life right now.” While very much back in the saddle, Punk of course stayed busy during his spell away from WWE. As well as a brief foray into MMA with UFC with a two-fight stint there, he helped the growth of Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling. He wrestled with AEW between 2021 and 2023 before his return to WWE.
CM Punk continues to enjoy his return to WWE as the company wows fans on its latest European tour.
After close to a decade away from professional wrestling’s biggest entity, CM Punk made an epic comeback at Survivor Series at the tail end of 2023.
A figure often thought of as controversial and hot-headed given his willingness to always speak his mind, Punk has enjoyed and endured a topsy-turvy relationship with WWE.
Departing there under the cloud of a bitter separation in 2024 that left him so disillusioned that he quit the industry altogether, Punk has, to the outside world, returned to the game an entirely different figure.
Widely thought to be a more considered individual who has invested his time as much in others, and the future of WWE via NXT, as much as his own interests, Punk has remained a top-level performer.
His feuds with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre have ranked amongst the best in the Chicago native’s career – and he looks to be having the time of his life.
He’s been part of WWE’s latest jaunt overseas to Europe and will likely appear on both Monday’s Raw from Glasgow and SmackDown which airs from London’s O2 Arena on Friday night.
Before that, however, he’s been taking part in something of a rarity – non-televised live events.
Once a staple part of the WWE calendar in years gone by with three or four held per week in addition to televised shows like Raw and SmackDown, ‘house’ shows are all but a thing of the past.
With the company pulling big business with sellout crowds around the globe, the start of the current overseas tour marks the first non-televised events since the turn of the year.
A three-month stretch without them would’ve been unthinkable a decade ago in Punk’s first tenure, but it seems the business is changing, and the 46-year-old looks as though he knows it.
In England on Sunday, he teamed with WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes in a major match as part of a show in Nottingham – they downed the pairing of Gunther and Solo Sikoa.
It came a night after the Second City Saint toiled with Gunther in a world title match in Belfast, the shows marking the first non-televised events in the UK for 12 years.
Back in 2013, he teamed with Daniel Bryan to defeat Erick Rowan and Luke Harper in Minehead before his WWE exit and all the drama that followed.
Before his outing in Nottingham, WWE cameras caught Punk in an emotional state as he sat on the edge of the ring watching Rhodes – established as the biggest WWE star of the present day – making his entrance.
Rhodes sat beside his former rival before Punk appearing to tell him he had cried or was crying, the champ briefly taken by surprise before comforting his colleague as they shared a smile and an embrace.
The pair then made their way to the ring, Punk following Rhodes after appearing to dab a tear from his eye.
In a post on X, WWE simply wrote: “Sometimes you just need a moment to take it all in…”
In reply, one fan insisted: “I never, ever thought I could be a Punk fan. This damn man is winning me over. I absolutely appreciate how happy he seems.”
Another echoed: “Punk really is living his best life right now.”
While very much back in the saddle, Punk of course stayed busy during his spell away from WWE.
As well as a brief foray into MMA with UFC with a two-fight stint there, he helped the growth of Tony Khan’s All Elite Wrestling.
He wrestled with AEW between 2021 and 2023 before his return to WWE.
