MJF Doesn’t Hold Back on CM Punk’s Controversial Legacy

Despite previously criticizing him, MJF acknowledged the value of CM Punk and praised him as a great wrestler despite their differences.

CM Punk and MJF (Image: AEW)

Despite all the controversies, CM Punk is regarded as one of the best wrestlers and has constantly proven that he can still hang with some of the modern-day technicians. His battles with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns in recent years have shown how Punk still deserves the title of ‘The Best in the World’.

While Rollins always has something bad to say about Punk, he can never deny his in-ring work as a performer. And it seems that AEW prodigy MJF also has the same thinking regarding Punk, as his recent interview with Ariel Helwani saw him targeting Punk for his personal grudge but praising him for his professional work.

MJF bashed CM Punk personally while praising his in-ring work

MJF talks about CM Punk (Image: The Ariel Helwani Show)

During the interview, MJF was asked about his opinion of CM Punk’s current work and whether he was surprised to see Punk pull off such great matches. To which, MJF answered, “No, I’m not surprised at how good CM Punk’s doing. It does not change the fact that he’s a still a bad influence”.

He further added, “He just sucks. He’s a bad guy, but he’s an incredible professional wrestler. I’m not gonna take that away from him”. Despite all his grudges with Punk, MJF still managed to praise him for his professional work. He concluded by stating, “How many times I have to repeat myself? A bad man, but he’s a great wrestler”.

MJF says his stance on CM Punk hasn’t changed and discusses the evolution of the AEW locker room:

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? He's a piece of shit, but he's a great wrestler.

There's no longer people in the locker room that look at my company as a stepping… pic.twitter.com/5V2l3YnIUc
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 19, 2026

While Punk has had quite some adversaries down the road, many of them hate to accept the fact that the Chicago native is a true workhorse when it comes to the squared circle, and it was once again proved with MJF’s remarks.

Update on CM Punk’s Ongoing Absence in WWE

MJF Wants The New Day to debut in AEW After exiting WWE

MJF wants to see The New Day in AEW (Image: WWE)

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are among the biggest superstars who left WWE after WrestleMania 42. Being true icons in the tag team division, it would be a dream for many fans to see The New Day in AEW, and the same goes for MJF.

While acknowledging their talents, MJF talked about how AEW might be perfect for the legendary tag team. He also stated how he was impressed with them for knowing their worth and leaving WWE by denying a 50% pay cut. It remains to be seen if Kingston and Woods will finally end up in the AEW or if they will find any other home for themselves.

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