“Horrible Behavior” – CM Punk Slammed for Ignoring a Kid’s Request upon Arriving in Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions

A video making rounds on the internet has CM Punk refusing to stop by a kid for taking pictures upon his arrival in Riyadh.

“Horrible Behavior” – CM Punk Slammed for Ignoring a Kid’s Request upon Arriving in Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions

CM Punk [via- WWE and EliteRockerz/@X]

After a week-long speculation about the status of the ongoing political unrest in the Middle East potentially affecting WWE’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the company staffers and talent have finally landed in the country. Numerous clips of superstars arriving in Riyadh for two nights of wrestling have surfaced on social media. But the one involving CM Punk does look a bit ugly.

Making his first-ever trip to the Arabic nation, Punk didn’t entertain a bystander kid’s request for a picture. In the clip seen below, The Best in the World, sporting a Bret Hart hoodie, could be seen walking alongside Randy Orton, who also seemed reserved by his gesture.

Punk is scheduled for a big-time match on Saturday. The Second City Saint will battle John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship in what would be their first singles meeting in 12 years. In kayfabe, The Cenation Leader made his nemesis do something he had never done, visit Saudi Arabia.

The wrestling fans are aware of the fact that Punk had been extremely critical of his stance on WWE’s long-term working relationship with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. In fact, in the lead-up to the Night of Champions, there was a lot of conundrum regarding Punk’s status for the event. But the floodgates might open up with Punk making his wrestling debut in Saudi Arabia on June 28.

Cena recently dropped a pipe-bomb on Punk, wherein the Peacemaker star mocked the Chicagoan’s capricious nature in terms of respecting one’s values and ethics in life. It was a jab at Punk’s change of heart about the Middle Eastern country that he once condemned in his 2020-made post targeting The Miz.

Wrestling fans criticize CM Punk’s conduct towards a kid in Saudi Arabia

The aforementioned video featuring CM Punk subtly shunning a kid for a photograph hasn’t sat well with the netizens. They’re on a hunt and bashing spree for the ex-AEW star. The majority of comments didn’t back Punk up by arguing that no matter the circumstances, he should’ve been receptive to that boy. A fan posted another clip where LA Knight could be seen interacting with a kid in one of the most wholesome interactions he must’ve ever had.

CM Punk
CM Punk (via- WWE)

The said fan tagged Punk and tried insinuating how it’s actually done. Some rare comments saw people also looking at the other side of the coin. A fan noted that it’s quite possible that the wrestlers were strictly told to avoid any interaction with fans in public places outside of WWE-authorized meet-and-greet events. This theory is quite plausible considering the volatile situation in the region.

Some trolls also bashed Punk for his alleged disliking of kids, but that conspiracy isn’t true, as one could often see The Second City Saint being extremely nice to them at several fan-greeting opportunities. In fact, a few days ago during the SummerSlam kickoff show, Punk lifted the same baby up in his arms whom he’d spotted last year at the Fanatics Fest.

Matt Riddle schooled while trying to dump on CM Punk

CM Punk has historically been one of the most polarizing wrestling figures of all time. Between his tumultuous WWE exit in 2014 and multiple backstage issues in AEW, he’d developed quite a reputation for being a problematic worker.

Matt Riddle and CM Punk
Matt Riddle and CM Punk [via- Fox News]

One of the ex-WWE stars, Matt Riddle, who’s never shared a locker room with The Voice of the Voiceless, claimed in a recent interview that he often gets told by his friends in WWE that Punk’s still a headache to work with. Riddle has now reacted to the aforementioned video that sees Punk gently shove a kid aside. The Original Bro’s attempt to foment more public anger against Punk has backfired on him.

The fans wasted little time in reminding Riddle of his charges of domestic violence with his first wife and three children. The former MMA fighter was fired by WWE in September 2023 after dipping his toes in numerous controversies, involving his JFK airport ruckus in an inebriated state.

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