"I probably hated you back then": Stanley Cup winner Roberto Luongo gets surprise visit from Hawks fan CM Punk at WWE Raw

By ARJUN B

Modified Aug 20, 2024 06:35 GMT

Former NHL goaltender Roberto Luongo won his first Stanley Cup last season as an executive with the Florida Panthers. Luongo received a surprise visit from WWE superstar CM Punk during WWE Raw on Monday.

Punk, a noted Chicago Blackhawks fan, crashed Luongo's interview during a pre-Raw segment to congratulate him on the Panthers' championship victory.

"No, I wanted this to be a surprise for you because I probably hated you back then because we were supposed to – and I say we like I was on the team, right – we were supposed to repeat but, you know, we did okay," Punk told Luongo with a laugh.

"And it's really cool to see good people get their due and your name's on the cup, like what does that feel like?" he added.

Punk was referring to the 2011 playoffs, when Luongo's Vancouver Canucks defeated Punk's beloved Blackhawks en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. As a die-hard Hawks fan, Punk admitted to harboring a sports grudge against Luongo for defeating Chicago.

In response to Punk's question about having his name etched on the Cup, Luongo said,

“I saw it for the first time about a month ago. Just something you spend your whole life working for, and obviously I didn't do it as a player, but I put in the work here in management."

When CM Punk asked if that mattered—not winning the cup as a player—Roberto Luongo replied:

“It doesn't, the feelings are the same as when I played, right? The emotions of the game are the same whether you are on the ice or in the manager's suit so man, there is a lot of work that goes into that.”

Despite their rival teams, the segment ended on a friendly note between the hockey legend and WWE superstar.

Fans react to surprise visit from Hawks fan CM Punk to Roberto Luongo

The unexpected encounter between the two sports icons left fans buzzing with excitement and disbelief.

One fan captured the surreal nature of the meeting, stating,

"I love Lu and I love Punk, but sometimes it feels like I'm living in a simulation."

Another enthusiast emphasized the joy of such unexpected encounters, noting,

"Backstage encounters are also great fun."

Here are some fan reactions:

"Am I really seeing this?! amazing" one fan wrote on X.

"Punk is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off ... he can't help himself" another fan wrote.

"Would have been funnier if punk started singing Chelsea dagger as he left" a user commented.

"*Stanley Cup Champion Roberto Luongo" another fan wrote.

The surprise visit has undoubtedly created a memorable moment for fans of both CM Punk and Roberto Luongo.