CM Punk Expresses Heartfelt Gratitude After Winning the World Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event

As CM Punk became a 7-time World Champion, the Chicago native expressed delight for the opportunity to face the best at 47 years of age.

CM Punk Expresses Heartfelt Gratitude After Winning the World Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event

CM Punk and Jey Uso at SNME (via WWE)

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CM Punk will forever be remembered as one of the most prolific and influential figures in professional wrestling history, and for good reason. After a standout run in Ring of Honor between 2002 and 2005, the Chicago native made an immediate impact upon joining WWE. While his early years showed flashes of potential, it was 2011 that truly cemented his legacy.

That year, Punk delivered his now-iconic ‘Pipebomb’ promo, propelling himself into superstardom and embarking on a legendary 434-day WWE Championship reign. His decade-long hiatus from the company that followed became part of wrestling lore, but his comeback story in 2023 has been nothing short of extraordinary.

At the latest edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Punk finally captured the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Jey Uso in a hard-fought main event. The win was especially meaningful after his SummerSlam victory earlier this year was marred by Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase following Punk’s grueling match with Gunther.

Appearing on Hockey Night in Utah, Punk reflected on his time away from the company and expressed deep gratitude for his current run. 

Every day has been a dream. Every day is gratitude. Obviously, I love hockey so much I kind of draw the parallels between my wrestling career and hockey, and I’m the old guy in the room now. I’m just happy I get to lace up my skates and have the privilege to be able to walk the locker room and the halls with a lot of talented young stars. It’s been a dream.

CM Punk via Hockey Night in Utah

Punk made his long-awaited return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, ending a ten-year hiatus and instantly becoming one of the top stars on Monday Night Raw. Since then, he’s headlined WrestleMania for the first time, engaged in era-defining rivalries with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, faced Cody Rhodes, and even shared the ring alongside his wife, AJ Lee.

For a man who once walked away from wrestling entirely, Punk’s comeback isn’t just a return but a defining chapter of his legendary career.

CM Punk seemed genuinely pissed at Jey Uso in a botched move at SNME

While CM Punk had every reason to be thrilled after capturing the World Heavyweight Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event, there was one heated moment during the match that caught fans’ attention.

Early in the bout, Jey Uso appeared to botch a neckbreaker, leading to an awkward exchange between the two. Punk, clearly frustrated, kicked Uso in the head before executing the move again, this time much more smoothly.

CM Punk and Jey Uso
CM Punk and Jey Uso (via WWE)

While some fans believe the kick was a clever way to cover up the botch and set up the second neckbreaker, many think it was Punk’s genuine reaction to Uso’s mistake.

For context, Uso has often faced criticism for being a bit sloppy in the ring, sometimes missing spots or losing stamina during long matches. His conditioning ahead of WrestleMania 41 against Gunther was a major talking point, even addressed in the WWE: Unreal series.

Adding to that, recent fan debates have questioned Uso’s main event push over LA Knight, who’s been praised for his consistency and crowd connection.

Of course, wrestlers giving receipts — real hits in response to botches — is nothing new. Remember when Brock Lesnar legitimately punched Braun Strowman after a stiff knee strike? Or when Randy Orton yelled “stupid!” at Kofi Kingston during a missed spot back in 2009?

Whether Punk’s kick was a receipt or just a way to keep the match flowing, it certainly added a layer of intrigue to their rivalry. It will be interesting to see how things unfold between ‘The Best in the World’ and ‘The Yeet Master’ moving forward.

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