Paul Heyman Reveals CM Punk Had to "Go Through Hell Elsewhere" Before Returning to WWE

In an interview with Sam Roberts, WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman discussed CM Punk’s long-anticipated return to WWE after a decade away.

"CM Punk is back where he belongs, and that’s on top in WWE," Heyman said. "Like any other rebel, it’s the old song—you have to go through hell before you get to heaven. And for CM Punk, the struggle is real. He’s still a rebel to this day, but a rebel never reaches the top, a rebel never gets their due on merit alone, unless they go through pure, blatant, bloody hell. And that hell wasn’t just in WWE—he had to go through it elsewhere, too, and everyone had to see it, hear about it, and know about it."

Heyman also commented on his own absence from WWE television, emphasizing the importance of meaningful appearances.

"What I don’t want to do is just be on television for the sake of being on television. Everything we do has to be relevant. That’s the whole theory behind the Island of Relevancy. If I had come back at SummerSlam with Roman Reigns, it wouldn’t have meant anything. There was nothing for me to contribute to that moment."

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— Ben Jordan Kerin Sep 22, 2024 10:24PM