Will Ospreay Reveals Sole Issue With WWE's CM Punk (Beyond Never Wrestling Him In AEW)

Though it seemed at times that the match could happen, Will Ospreay and CM Punk did not wrestle during Punk's two-year stint in AEW. Appearing on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Ospreay was asked to share his thoughts on Punk, with the wrestler poking fun at a previous miscommunication between the two.

"I've never had an issue with him. He's always been lovely to me, except for this one time — this one time — that really pissed me off," Ospreay said. "I said to him, 'Are there any decent steakhouses in Chicago?' And he said, 'I promise you, I will get you a steakhouse.' Show up in Chicago — no steakhouse."

While Ospreay expressed slight disappointment over not getting to wrestle Punk before the 46-year-old returned to WWE, he stated that the situation was out of his control and he wished Punk well. The two had previously called each other out in promos and interviews, with Ospreay issuing a public challenge to Punk in 2021 before Punk later teased Ospreay as a future AEW World Championship challenger the following year.

Punk departed AEW under acrimonious circumstances in September 2023, and Ospreay announced that he was signing with the promotion just a couple of months later after a lengthy run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He officially joined the roster in March 2024 and has since wrestled high-profile matches against Swerve Strickland, Bryan Danielson, and more. His latest victory took place this past Sunday at AEW Revolution, where he defeated former ally Kyle Fletcher in a Steel Cage match.

Meanwhile, Punk is set to compete in a Steel Cage match of his own on tonight's "WWE Raw." He'll face Seth Rollins, who previously engaged in a war of words with Ospreay across social media back in 2019.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.