Just ahead of the 2025 WWE Night of Champions Premium Live Event, CM Punk publicly addressed a controversial 2020 Instagram comment in which he told wrestlers to “suck a blood money covered d*ck in Saudi Arabia.” In a surprising move, Punk issued an apology to fans in Saudi Arabia, acknowledging his past remarks and expressing regret.
Following Punk’s in-ring return at Night of Champions, Paul “Triple H” Levesque commented on the situation, saying he was “incredibly proud” of Punk for taking accountability and extending an olive branch to fans in the region.
However, despite the apology, some fans labeled Punk a hypocrite for wrestling in Saudi Arabia after previously condemning WWE’s partnership with the country. On the latest episode of Grilling JR, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross weighed in on the backlash and defended Punk’s decision.
“It’s overthought… Overthought, and I know that Punk’s heart is in the right place,” Ross said. “He’s controversial, that’s why he’s so fun to follow. Phil’s a good friend of mine. I am a full-on supporter of his work, I really am; I still wish he was at AEW, quite frankly.”
Ross praised Punk’s contributions to wrestling and emphasized that fans might be looking too deeply into the situation.
“He adds a lot to any presentation that he’s involved in. So, I think we’re overthinking it a little bit quite honestly.”
While Punk’s return to Saudi Arabia remains divisive, his apology and performance at Night of Champions signal a new chapter in his WWE run—one that even his longtime supporters like JR are eager to see unfold.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued updates on CM Punk, Jim Ross, and the latest from WWE.
