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The rivalry between Seth Rollins and CM Punk came to a head this week when the latter defeated the former in the main event of the "WWE Raw" debut on Netflix. Before they collided on WWE's red brand, Rollins sat down with WWE's Jackie Redmond to clarify the root of his issues with Punk, which began more than a decade ago.
As Rollins and Punk have both pointed out, their overall relationship extends back 20 years, with Rollins first approaching Punk, a fellow Midwesterner, for in-ring training. Punk also later helped Rollins get his foot in the door of WWE, where they both thrived as WWE Champions. Once Punk left WWE in 2014, however, their dynamic took a dramatic turn, as Rollins previously claimed that Punk "ghosted" him and every other friend in the company.
"I got up to WWE and it was my dream job. I was on the road all the time. CM Punk and I were on the same shows. He was helping me after my matches," Rollins said. "Everything was as I dreamed it, and we were becoming friends. It was more than just like a student and a teacher, more than an apprentice and a mentor. There was a friendship there, camaraderie because we were kind of cut from the same cloth. Then everything went south, and that's kind of where the root of it is. You trust someone, you believe in them, you become close to them, and then they betray you with no remorse, no explanation, nothing."
In addition to casting his friends aside, Rollins has previously cited issues with Punk for his attempts at "tearing down" WWE following his 2014 exit. "The Second City Saint" eventually returned to the WWE realm in November 2023, with Rollins making memorable, yet obscene gestures toward him.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

