In a newly released video on WWE’s official YouTube channel, AJ Styles reflected on finally sharing the ring with CM Punk before stepping away from in-ring competition — calling the experience deeply meaningful given their long and sometimes complicated history.
“I’m trying to think of the first time I met Punk, but I can tell you it’s been over two decades. I know that — easy.”
Styles smiled as he looked back at how far their friendship dates, even joking about how different he sounded back then. “I was just saying today, Punk knew me when I had a real, real bad Southern accent — one where you could barely understand the English language. That’s how far back we go.”
Beyond nostalgia, Styles admitted that sharing the ring again — particularly under the bright lights of WWE — carried emotional weight for him. “To get in there not only with Punk, but with the heavyweight champion — I don’t think he understands how much it means to me. Because we had some rough times, him and I, and it really, really bothered me. Really bothered me. Because we were so close at one point, and then you get caught up in your bubbles, and stuff like that — and miscommunication. It sucks.”
Styles used the moment to highlight how personal growth helped repair their relationship over time. “We are living proof that you live and learn, forget, forgive, and move on. Life’s too short to be angry with each other over stupid things.”
While acknowledging that they don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, Styles emphasized that differences don’t have to destroy friendships. “Me and Punk don’t think alike on a lot of things, but that doesn’t separate us from being friends and being appreciative of each other. It’s so stupid to live like that.
I wish everybody could understand that we’re going to have differences. We’re not going to agree on everything, but we can agree to be civil.
And we both said things in the past we wish we could take back.”
For Styles, being able to stand across the ring from Punk once more wasn’t just another match — it was a full-circle moment decades in the making and a reminder that reconciliation is possible, even in an industry built on intense rivalries.
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