Despite CM Punk’s Return Promo Being Mocked by Fans, WWE Legend Defends Him: “He Almost Got Choked Up”

Towards the end of November, the WWE managed to do the unthinkable as they brought back CM Punk. The Best In The World made his return at Survivor Series: WarGames at the Allstate Arena in his hometown of Chicago on November 25.

While the crowd welcomed him with a deafening reception, Punk surprisingly managed to get a similar pop during the following Monday night RAW. But while his live performances have been well-received so far, fans felt like his mic work on his most recent promo felt insincere. However, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has come to Punk’s aid amidst the call-out from fans.

Booker T shows support towards CM Punk after divisive promo on RAW

After CM Punk made his return to AEW earlier this year, Booker T had snubbed the former WWE Champion’s promo. This earned him scorn from fans, who deemed otherwise. Now, in what seems to be a role reversal, King Booker has extended his full support to The Second City Saint. Speaking on his Reality of Wrestling podcast recently, Booker T said he connected with Punk’s promo on RAW, which again defied how the fans felt about it.

He said, “I said [his return promo in AEW] wasn’t the best promo I ever saw, it could have had a lot more substance to it… and a lot of people gave me backlash because I said that, because I didn’t say ‘it was the greatest promo in the world. It was a pipebomb!'” However, with Punk’s latest promo, Booker T faced significant fan backlash for standing in support of Punk during the promo.

“… it was a heartfelt promo, that’s what I think. At points in time, CM Punk got caught in the moment a little bit, he almost got choked up just a little bit,” the WWE veteran stated. Elaborating on this, he said that considering Punk’s probable uncertainty about how he would be received when he rejoined WWE, the promo felt a bit more real. The former WWE Tag Team Champion even went so far as to say that the promo was the ‘greatest’ from CM Punk.

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While Booker T speaks about how Punk might have felt during his promo, let’s look at what CM Punk said during his comeback promo.

Several call-outs, an indirect jibe, and stating intention: CM Punk’s mixed promo

Apart from his ability to fight, Punk has also been a fierce competitor with the microphone. Be it his ‘pipe bomb’ promo or the infamous AEW media scrum, he has never been short of words. However, he brought out a mixed bag on the November 27 episode of RAW.

Punk didn’t dodge his past with the promotion. In fact, he was open about it and passively mentioned Paul Heyman as The Wiseman during the promo. Punk said a wiseman once told him that he had to go out and come back to regain everything.

Not just the legendary manager, he also paid tribute to Dusty Rhodes, whom he referred to as The American Dream, for teaching him to speak from the heart. The fans also received a vote of thanks for their support as Punk claimed himself to be their voice, as always.

However, he did take a shot at Seth Rollins, again without mentioning The Architect. Previously, Rollins was visibly upset and indulged in some NSFW activity after Punk’s return to the PLE. Addressing that, he said not everyone was happy that he was back to his old fold.

This could have also been a setup for a feud, where Punk stoked a fire that was already burning. But expect CM Punk to cut a few more promos before locking horns. Maybe that can get Booker T and the fans on the same page in the future.

So, what’s your take on Booker T’s assessment of the Punk promo? Let us know in the comments below.

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