Bully Ray Praises Particular Aspect Of CM Punk's WWE Raw Segment

Bad Blood's brutal Hell in a Cell match left both combatants worse for wear — Drew McIntyre with a split scalp and the 45-year-old CM Punk taking bumps like wrestlers half his age. The next night on October 7's "WWE Raw," a noticeably worn down Punk announced he'd be taking an indefinite sabbatical from in-ring competition. While Punk fans may have been disappointed by the news, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray said he was a big fan of the segment, mentioning that the words coming out of Punk's mouth were secondary to his physical presentation. 

"I loved the limp. I loved the Band-Aids on the face. I loved the grabbing of the ribs," Bully said on "Busted Open Radio." "It tells me that the match is legitimate. Young wrestlers take note. Sell, sell, sell, and when you're done selling, sell some more. And that's not from Uncle Bully, that's from Uncle Dusty [Rhodes]. Uncle Bully just learned it." As a counterpoint, Bully brought up a recent AEW match involving Mercedes Mone. He noted the match was hard-hitting and tightly fought, but took offense to the way Mercedes just got up and walked away afterward. 

"Selling is your friend," Bully said. "It will never hurt you. And the more you sell, the more people can feel your pain and love you because of what you put yourself through for them." Bully then pointed to the memorable Hell in a Cell match where Cody Rhodes wrestled with a torn pectoral muscle. He said the moment he took off his robe to reveal the grotesque bruising was when fans decided they would go all-in on Rhodes. Although not to the same degree, Bully said Punk's battered appearance on "Raw" had a similar effect. "[Fans] were like, 'Look at what this guy's willing to put himself through for us,'" Bully said.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.