5 things CM Punk said about Triple H after leaving WWE
On November 25, WWE fans witnessed the wrestling equivalent of hell freezing over at Survivor Series: WarGames. CM Punk, the man who walked out of WWE in 2014, returned to the company he has repeatedly criticized over the last decade. To top it off, he even posed for an internet-breaking picture alongside his former arch-nemesis, Triple H.
Punk has never been one to follow the status quo. If he feels strongly about something, you can be sure he'll voice his opinion about it. The Best in the World has been outspoken about plenty of wrestlers over the years, from AJ Styles and The Miz to Ryback and Seth Rollins.
During his appearance on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast in 2014, Punk mentioned several times that he had problems with Triple H in WWE.
With that in mind, let's look at five notable things the returning star said about WWE's Chief Content Officer during that infamous podcast appearance.
#5. CM Punk had an issue with Triple H's communication over a movie role
In 2012, CM Punk was supposed to play the lead role in the WWE Studios movie 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded. The Straight Edge Superstar was excited about the opportunity, mostly because he wanted a break from WWE's live events schedule.
Punk realized the filming of the movie clashed with WWE's trip to Europe. The then-WWE Champion wanted assurances from Triple H over whether the company really wanted him to miss such an important tour. The Game responded by stating that he could do both because the dates did not clash.
The next day, without receiving any warning from Triple H, Punk found out online that Randy Orton had replaced him in the movie. It turned out that the dates did clash after all, but nobody kept him informed.
#4. CM Punk mocked Triple H over his feud with Curtis Axel
In the summer of 2013, Curtis Axel received his first major opportunity as a main roster singles star. He defeated Triple H twice on RAW, but both victories came as a result of Vince McMahon awarding him the wins via disqualification and forfeit.
CM Punk worked with Axel and Ryback later that year. In a meeting with McMahon, the former WWE Champion complained about transitioning from a high-profile rivalry with Brock Lesnar to a feud with Ryback.
He took a dig at Triple H while telling the story, sarcastically saying The Game did an "awesome job" during the short-lived Axel rivalry. He also claimed the 14-time champion failed to fulfill his promise of elevating Mr. Perfect's son.
#3. CM Punk said he didn't need to wrestle Triple H
In 2011, Triple H defeated Punk in the Night of Champions main event following interference from Kevin Nash. Two and a half years later, they were supposed to meet again in a marquee match at WrestleMania 30.
Discussing the night of his 2014 WWE walkout, Punk said he told Triple H he did not want to face him at WrestleMania. He even said he "seriously resented" The King of Kings for not losing when they fought at Night of Champions 2011.
Punk was supposed to win the rematch at WrestleMania, but he didn't care at that point because he felt his character had already been damaged.
#2. CM Punk said Triple H offered to leave the room before his walkout
During the 2014 Royal Rumble match, Punk suffered a concussion after receiving a mistimed kick to the head from his real-life friend Kofi Kingston. The next day, the WWE star was instructed to sign a form to leave the country for an upcoming tour. Doctors also wanted him to take concussion and drug tests.
Due to all the chaos, Punk admitted he was "argumentative" and "belligerent" with people that day. He felt backstage personnel were concerned about protocol, while he was more bothered about his concussion and other mounting injuries. On top of everything else, he had also been informed about script changes for that night's RAW.
Triple H offered to leave the room when Punk began raising these concerns to Vince McMahon. However, Punk told McMahon's son-in-law to stay because he felt he needed to hear his frustrations.
#1. CM Punk said Triple H never liked him
As Punk explained his issues to WWE's higher-ups, he said Triple H "gritted his teeth" when he voiced his displeasure about the WrestleMania 30 idea.
The former WWE Champion added that The Game always disliked him, claiming there were "never any good vibes" when they interacted. He also alleged that internet stories about his Night of Champions 2011 opponent's negative opinions of him were true.
What do you think the future holds for CM Punk in the Triple H creative era? Let us know in the comments section below.