After almost 10 years away from WWE, CM Punk made the decision to return to the company during the tail end of the Survivor Series, PLE. The return marked the end of the problems that had distanced the company from him as he aimed to write a new stage in his career. This fact was very well received by Punk fans, who had been clamoring for his return for a long time. However, all this could’ve been a pipe dream had CM Punk found success in the UFC.

Trying his hand at MMA, Punk could not pull off an upset in both his MMA fights and hung his gloves. So when Cody Rhodes was asked in an interview about fighters crossing over after the TKO merger, he did not shy away from subtly citing Punk as an example.

Cody Rhodes on how the cross-sport venture doesn’t always work out

Cody Rhodes recently sat down for an interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. Rhodes talked about a spree of topics. One question where he had a lot to share was on WWE and UFC fighters jumping ships after the merger. The 2023 Royal Rumble winner went ahead and cited successful UFC stars who made their name in the WWE. One such name was Ronda Rousey, while WWE superstars like Bobby Lashley did the same by going to the UFC. However, he also took a subtle jab at CM Punk, as he mentioned how it doesn’t work out for everyone. He said, “I was always curious to see how one of us would one of us would do I know in the past it’s not always worked out for everybody.”

Rhodes, who recently lit the ring on fire with his verbal exchange with CM Punk on the latest edition of RAW could not miss the opportunity to remind fans of Punk’s MMA failure. After all, they went all-out, no holds barred, during their much-awaited confrontation before the Royal Rumble. For those who missed it, here’s a brief recap.

The best promo of 2024 already?

After ‘The Cult of Personality’ called out Rhodes for a confrontation at RAW, the audiences were divided. In a promo nothing short of cinema, Punk recalled that Dusty Rhodes asked him to take care of Cody Rhodes when he sent him to OVW in 2007. He also mentioned that watching him grow into a main eventer is something he’s proud of. However, Punk said he feels like he’s going to break a promise on Saturday because he’s going to go after ‘The American Nightmare’ and do whatever it takes to win the Rumble.

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The 45-year-old continued to wonder if Cody Rhodes could separate business from personal. He told Rhodes that his father, Dusty, was a wrestling legend, whereas his father was an electrician. This makes him more of an American Dream than Rhodes himself. This bothered Cody Rhodes, and he decided to bring to the fore the famous ‘pipebomb’ of CM Punk in 2011. He said how Punk did nothing of what he said in that famous promo. Rhodes vindicates himself by saying that he did do all the things that ‘the Cult of Personality’ said he was going to do, which makes ‘The American Nightmare’ more CM Punk than Punk himself.

The tension increased as the minutes went by. However, they restrained themselves in coming to blows with one another. With Royal Rumble all set for this weekend, fans cannot wait to witness the two share the ring again. Are you excited about the Royal Rumble PLE?

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