During a recent interview with Sportsbible.com, CM Punk opened up about a key backstage moment shortly after his high-profile WWE return at Survivor Series 2023, revealing that Paul “Triple H” Levesque personally encouraged him to ditch the script and speak from the heart.
Punk recalled the immediate aftermath of his surprise return, which came just moments after Randy Orton made his long-awaited comeback from injury. “So I come back and I all over Randy’s moment, right? It’s Survivor Series. Randy has been gone. He’s rehabbed. He’s got a new spine. He comes back, and then here’s CM Punk to just step all over it.”
The following week, Punk was scheduled for a live promo, but the match before him—between Randy Orton and Dominik Mysterio—went long, cutting into Punk’s segment time. “They go over on their time, and it drastically cuts my promo time. And we’re all hooting, and I’m just laughing about it… Whatever I don’t get to say this week, I’ll just say next week. That’s the beauty of doing 52 live shows a year.”
Triple H Intervenes
Punk revealed that he was nervously clutching a script backstage when Triple H noticed and decided to step in. “I was running around with a piece of paper in my hand… and then Triple H gets up and he comes up to me. He goes, ‘What are you doing, man? You’re freaking everybody out.’”
Triple H was stunned to see Punk treating the promo like a scripted segment—something not usually associated with the famously outspoken star. “He’s like, ‘Nobody here has ever seen you hold a script in your hand and read it. You’re not just going to go out there and say whatever the hell you want.’ And I was just like, ‘Oh, well, I’m new around here, so I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.’”
“He grabbed the piece of paper and he crumpled it up and he threw it out…”
That’s when Triple H gave Punk the push he needed. “He grabbed the piece of paper and he crumpled it up and he threw it out. And he was just like, ‘You’re CM Punk.’ He’s like, ‘Just go out there and talk to the people.’ And I was just like, ‘Right.’ And that’s what I needed to hear… ‘Just go be you. That’s why you’re here.’”
CM Punk talks about Triple H throwing away a script he was reading shortly after he returned to WWE 😭 pic.twitter.com/otfd39P8lW
— ❌KEIRAN❌ (@_XKEIRANX_) July 21, 2025
Punk Back in the WWE Groove
CM Punk remains a major part of WWE’s marketing and storytelling machine.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more updates on CM Punk’s WWE status and future appearances.
