CM Punk reveals motivation for targeting Drew McIntyre; makes a bold statement ahead of WWE SummerSlam
WWE Superstars CM Punk and Drew McIntyre are set to collide in their first-ever one-on-one match at SummerSlam 2024. Ahead of the premium live event in Cleveland, The Best in the World has outlined his reason for targeting The Scottish Warrior and also made a statement about his leadership abilities.
At this year's Royal Rumble, The Second City Saint sustained a torn triceps injury. Subsequently, McIntyre mocked and assaulted him on an episode of RAW. The two men have since been involved in a heated rivalry that saw Punk cost the former 3MB member the World Heavyweight Championship on several occasions (WrestleMania XL, Clash at the Castle, and Money in the Bank).
Last week on the red brand, the former AEW star was medically cleared for in-ring competition. Adam Pearce then confirmed a colossal showdown between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk for SummerSlam, with Seth "Freakin" Rollins serving as the Special Guest Referee.
In a recent interview with ESPN's First Take, The Best in the World explained his reason for picking on the former WWE Champion:
"It's because I'm a target for Drew. That's really all there is to it. Drew keeps poking the bear. Sometimes you have to let them know who the man is." [1:09 - 1:20]
The interviewer also asked CM Punk about Drew McIntyre's comment which stated that the 45-year-old WWE star is not a leader. The Straight Edge Superstar responded saying he had never claimed to be a leader.
"I never claimed to be one. I'm just trying to do my job. I'm just trying to wrestle. I'm very polarizing for some odd reason," Punk added. [1:25 - 1:38]
You can watch the full interview below:
Wrestling veteran slams CM Punk-Drew McIntyre segment on WWE RAW
Former WWE writer Vince Russo heavily criticized the segment involving Rollins, Punk, and McIntyre on the latest edition of the flagship show.
The segment featured The Visionary laying down rules and regulations for the SummerSlam bout. After a fierce promo battle, The Second City Saint and The Scottish Warrior concluded by intensely staring each other down.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW, Vince Russo claimed that the segment went nowhere, as Drew McIntyre and CM Punk just took repetitive shots at each other. The former writer also stated why Vince McMahon's idea of scripted promos is sometimes a necessity.
"You guys want to carry on about Vince McMahon scripting promos? I wish Vince McMahon scripted this promo. This promo was all over the place. It absolutely sucked with all freaking parties involved. It went on for about 18 minutes, it went nowhere, and it ends with the five-cent bracelet again at the end. This was hot garbage," Russo said.
It will be interesting to see how Seth Rollins influences the outcome of the encounter between the two WWE Superstars.