CM Punk claims Vince McMahon would have banned his current WWE look

Despite being two of the most divisive figures in WWE history, CM Punk and Vince McMahon were once on good terms. In a recent statement, Punk revealed how his ex-boss would have responded to his current appearance.

Despite infamously walking out of WWE in January 2014, the Second City Saint was highly speculated to never make a return. However, in 2021 at the age of 45, Punk surprised many by coming back with a new appearance, yet still reminiscent of his controversial AEW days.

During an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Punk shared a thought-provoking statement about how he would not be permitted on WWE television with a grey beard if Vince McMahon was still in charge. The 45-year-old made this observation while discussing the behavior of individuals.

“People will be like, ‘Oh, you’re old! Oh, you’re this! Oh, you’re that!’ This grey hair… I find it comic, people will be like, ‘Why don’t you dye your beard? You look old!’ And I’m like, ‘F**k you! I earned this s**t! Like, all these scars, like, I earned this s**t!… They’ll criticize these things, all these things that I’ve done wrong… the way I look, the way I act, this, that, but they don’t realize that all those faults make me who I am. That’s who CM Punk is,”he said.

Punk argued that his present appearance is evidence of Vince McMahon’s absence from the company, as it appears McMahon opposed the notion of wrestlers having grey hair.

“I’ll just keep being me, you know? So…grey beard, old, grizzled… that’s me, that’s the phase I’m in right now. I think trying to change your appearance and all that other stuff, I think lends to a little bit of insecurity and all that stuff, and I look at this [points to beard] as like, a Vince thing. I would never be allowed on TV looking like this. This [points to beard] means he’s gone. [laughs] You know? Sometimes I look at it and I go, ‘Yeah, yeah. I don’t look like… 2007 CM Punk, and I go, ‘Good. Good,’”CM Punk said. [From 2:40:31 to 2:41:10]

Punk shared details of his short encounter with McMahon at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. He also drew parallels between Vince’s controversy and the Chris Benoit tragedy.

CM Punk’s rumored involvement in WrestleMania XL

Despite rumors of a potential match against Seth Rollins at this year’s Show of Shows, CM Punk will not be able to compete due to a tricep injury sustained earlier in the year. As a result, Drew McIntyre has been announced as Rollins’ opponent for this weekend’s event in Philadelphia.

Despite initial expectations that CM Punk would be absent from this year’s ‘Mania, he surprised fans by making a comeback on RAW in his hometown of Chicago last week. He announced that he will be serving as a guest commentator during Night Two of WrestleMania 40, specifically during the World Heavyweight Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

Despite not being promoted for the upcoming go-home edition of RAW, the previous AEW World Champion may still make an appearance. In the meantime, McIntyre recently took a jab at Punk through his social media account.