CM Punk’s return raised a lot of eyebrows, with fans wondering how WWE’s old guard would react, and WWE veteran Michael Cole recalled his reaction to Punk’s return.
Cole revealed in an interview with “”.OutKick:“That he was good friends with Punk before he left WWE, but then they lost touch. However, Cole welcomed the former AEW star with open arms, saying he was willing to do business with him and was happy to see him back in WWE.
“Punk and I were really close when he was first here. Obviously, he’s leaving the company. This business is weird because you can be good friends with someone while they work here and then they leave and you might not talk to them for a few years. That was my situation with Punk,” Cole said. “Listen, business is business. I learned that a long time ago when I started here. Never say never in WWE. I was excited when Punk was going to come back.”
Cole admitted that he wasn’t sure how Punk would handle his return to WWE or how the locker room would react. However, he was determined to get down to business and had no problems with Punk joining the WWE, adding that he was happy to have him back in the promotion. The veteran commentator acknowledged that Punk has said a few things about himself since leaving WWE, but noted that in order to survive in pro-wrestling, past feuds must be left behind.
“You, you can’t be angry. If you take anything personal in our business, you will not survive. There’s a reason I’ve been here for 30 years. You have to let it slide off your back, go ahead with a smile on your face and get down to business,” he added.
Punk vowed never to return to WWE after leaving in 2015, but made good on his promise, saying: Nick Khan and Triple H played key roles in it.