CM Punk Discusses What He Missed Most During Time Away From WWE

CM Punk has been known for his gripes and complaints but the former WWE Champion has been upbeat since his return to WWE last November.

In a new interview with "Busted Open Radio," Punk explained that the camaraderie of the locker room was what he missed most during his time away.

"[I missed] the boys, hanging out in the locker room," Punk explained. "There's people you see at work who are work acquaintances and when you're not at work, you don't see 'em. It's hard to keep in touch with everybody, so just kinda reconnecting with people, seeing a lot of people I haven't seen in 10 years is a real treat."

Punk left WWE in 2014, leading to a long hiatus from wrestling that ended in 2021 when he signed with AEW. After a controversial run in the company and an acrimonious split, Punk was fired after making AEW President Tony Khan "fear for [his] life" during a backstage altercation at All In in Wembley Stadium. 

He made a surprise return to WWE at that year's Survivor Series in Rosemont, IL. The former WWE Champion wrestled two house show matches before getting injured in his first televised match at this year's Royal Rumble. Punk recovered from that injury and returned at WWE SummerSlam, where he lost to Drew McIntyre thanks in no small part to special referee Seth Rollins.

The former AEW World Champion feels that fans have "misunderstood" him over his many outspoken years, as he considers himself a very positive person despite his bilious reputation and controversial altercations, some of which have led to him being labeled a "locker room cancer" which he also disputes.