Former WWE Champion clarifies a particular aspect of CM Punk feud: "I'm proud of that match"
As he missed his first WrestleMania in 11 years last month, CM Punk's last showdown on the grand stage remains the one against WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker in 2013.
Punk is not afraid to explore dark territories to further intensify a rivalry. Perhaps this was best demonstrated when he brought out Paul Heyman disguised as Paul Bearer - who had just passed away - to taunt The Deadman ahead of WrestleMania 29.
Recalling the iconic match and the controversial angle that came with it on his podcast Six Feet Under recently, The Undertaker revealed that many were not sure how to present that particular aspect of the feud to him. However, he did not consider it to be disrespectful at all. The Phenom knew his late friend would have loved it:
"Everybody was a little uptight about bringing that to me, thinking it might be disrespectful. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' Paul would love the fact that even after he's gone, that he's still part of the story in such a vital way. That was the year I did the appearance at the Hall of Fame and paid honor to him there. They got their hands on the urn. I just knew, Paul being Paul, he would love still being part of the involvement and the angle. I don't think he would have felt like it was disrespectful."
The WWE Hall of Famer concluded by adding that he is proud of the match he had with CM Punk at MetLife Stadium, which many fans consider to be the climax of his string of remarkable fights over the years on the grand stage:
"It was cool and one of those deals where you motivate yourself. 'I want to tear this down for him.' That was my motivation. Paul would have loved to have been in a situation standing across from Paul Heyman. I'm proud of that match, I thought it was really good," said Undertaker. [H/T: Fightful]
The bout is also notable for being the legendary WWE Superstar's last victory at WrestleMania before his undefeated streak ended at the hands of Brock Lesnar the following year.
When The Undertaker defended CM Punk's character outside the WWE ring
CM Punk left WWE in 2014 after a major fallout with the company. To this day, his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29 remains his finale on the grand stage, although that could change next year.
Speaking to Inside The Ropes last year, months before Punk's miraculous WWE return in November, The Phenom cleared the air about ever having beef with The Straight Edge Superstar:
"I had no beef with Punk, he was always business with me. Hopefully, I was with him [too]. He was good with me and that's all that matters. Business is business, whatever's best for business... Everybody thinks they're an expert but they really have no clue. It's ridiculous online. Business has always been business and [Punk] was always business with me," he said.
CM Punk's true nature has been a topic of discussion among fans owing to the many controversies he has been part of over the years, but the truth of the matter is that he remains one of the most iconic wrestlers of the 21st century.