MJF gives his thoughts on one of his greatest rivals leaving AEW and signing with the competition.
While the World Champion has been involved with multiple high-profile feuds in the short history of All Elite Wrestling, many regard his rivalry with CM Punk as the best. The interactions between the two stars sent the fans through a roller coaster of emotions. Beginning with insults thrown at one another over Punk’s failed UFC career and MJF being described as a “less famous Miz,” the current World Champion would go on to defeat The Best in the World in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.
A few weeks later prior to their scheduled rematch, MJF cut a masterful promo about his hatred of Punk that no one saw coming. Explaining why the Generational Talent had a hatred for Punk, MJF recalled a story from his youth where he was bullied and abused for being Jewish by the school football team. The crowd’s jeers turned to stunned silence as MJF recounted the anti-Semitic abuse he suffered and revealed that Punk was the only thing that made him carry on.
However, Punk walked out of WWE, changing the World Champion’s motivations to become the best wrestler in the world to spite Punk, not to show admiration for his former hero. The deeply personal rivalry would culminate at Revolution 2022 when Punk defeated MJF in a bloody dog collar match.
When discussing the rivalry with Punk on the SI Media podcast, the World Champion fondly looks back on his rivalry with Punk, noting it as one of the all-time great feuds in wrestling:
“One of the greatest feuds…I’ll just say this, the greatest feud of the modern era was me versus CM Punk, I think, and that happened on AEW television,”
At All Out 2022 it appeared that the rivalry was set to be renewed as Maxwell Jacob Friedman made his return to the company and stared down then-World Champion Punk to close the show. However, following the infamous events that took place at the press conference, Punk was stripped of the title and was off TV for a number of months.
MJF Discusses CM Punk’s WWE Return
The rivalry will not be renewed anytime soon as Punk shockingly made his way back to WWE at Survivor Series 2023. When asked about his thoughts on Punk returning to the promotion he walked out on, the World Champion is happy with the decision that Punk made and wishes him well:
No, I was happy for him. Listen, if he’s happy, I’m happy. I think he’s a hell of a talent, and at the end of the day, it’s a business. For some reason with wrestling, it’s looked at differently than any other sport. I see guys get traded to different teams all the time. That’s just life. So he did what he felt was best for him, and the company did what they felt was best for the company. So I just hope he’s happy. I wish him the best of luck.”
During the same interview, MJF addressed his current contract status with AEW.
H/t to Fightful.