"I want to personally apologize for that" - When Vince McMahon took responsibility for what WWE did to CM Punk
Wrestling fans are having the time of their life seeing CM Punk back in the company that allegedly fired him on his wedding day. The story has been discussed at length over the years, but many seem to have forgotten about Vince McMahon's apology to Punk for WWE's apparent mistake.
CM Punk's unceremonious exit from WWE in 2014 led to the former World Champion quitting wrestling altogether as he was admittedly burned out after spending years in Vince McMahon's company.
As Punk revealed back then, he received his termination orders on the day he tied the knot with AJ Lee, and he felt it was a deliberate attempt from WWE to get back at the superstar.
Vince McMahon addressed the issue on Steve Austin's podcast and proceeded to apologize to The Second City Saint. The clip of Vince McMahon's apology to CM Punk has now resurfaced on the internet following the latter's monumental WWE comeback.
"The first thing I would like to do this, I would like to apologize. Sometimes, in a big corporation, the legal people don't necessarily know what talent relations are doing, and conversely, Punk got his severance papers on the day he got married, and that was a coincidence. So, I want to personally apologize for that."
As he continued, Vince McMahon hoped that WWE and Punk would eventually reunite, and it has taken nearly a decade for that to happen.
Did Vince McMahon have a role in getting CM Punk back to WWE?
There has been a lot of talk about Vince McMahon's current role amidst another lawsuit being filed against the 78-year-old regarding the motives behind the WWE-UFC merger.
Vince McMahon is reportedly no longer involved in the creative planning but is still the Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings, Inc.
Considering he still is a top executive, many imagined the decision to get CM Punk back might have been heavily influenced by Vince McMahon, but that wasn't the case. Backstage sources revealed that Vince McMahon had nothing to do with Punk's return. Nick Khan and Triple H were the two main points of contact during the negotiation phase.
What are your expectations from Punk and WWE heading to Royal Rumble? Sound off in the comments section below.