“I was expecting a problem,” Top SmackDown star admits being wrong in his assessment of CM Punk’s WWE return

AJ Styles initially thought that CM Punk would again ruffle some feathers in WWE.

“I was expecting a problem,” Top SmackDown star admits being wrong in his assessment of CM Punk’s WWE return

CM Punk WWE return [via- WWE]

There was palpable unrest among the prevailing talents following CM Punk‘s earth-shattering return to WWE last year. Some oozed resentment over Phil Brooks being brought back, even after he kept bashing the company for years during his time out. Naysayers thought Punk was nothing more than a ticking bomb, and SmackDown Superstar AJ Styles was also under a similar belief.

However, yesterday, during an interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show at WWE World, Styles admitted being wrong in his assessment of Punk. The Phenomenal One brought up his real-life beef with The Best in the World while stating they didn’t care for each other. Styles firmly believes that past performance predicts future behavior.

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And even though he thought that The Second City Saint would be a problem following his return at Survivor Series: WarGames, Styles said he was wrong. The former OC leader affirmed that the Chicago native looks elated to be back in the mix with WWE. Not only that, but the real-life Allen Jones broached the idea of potentially wrestling the former AEW star.

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I was expecting a problem when he came here and I was wrong. The guy looks like he’s happy to be here. He looks like a guy that I’d wanna step in the ring with and tear the house down with him.

AJ Styles on CM Punk’s WWE return

It seems like the mutual malignity the two names have shared over the years has finally been quelled. Even though Punk has yet to respond to Styles speaking kindly of him, The Cookie Master heaped praise on the two-time WWE Champion in his explosive interview with Ariel Helwani. Needless to say, the former AEW star has buried the hatchet with most of his compatriots.

An excerpt of it can be deduced from The Straight Edge Superstar mending fences with SmackDown play-by-play commentator Corey Graves. With that being said, positive reviews continue to pour in for CM Punk. It seems only a matter of time before he trespasses into a high-profile program with The Georgia Pitbull.

Randy Orton recently claimed being glad over CM Punk’s WWE return

A man who’s been instrumental in propelling CM Punk into a singles career is none other than Randy Orton. Recently, the two sat down to revisit their instant classic from WrestleMania 27. In contrast to how bitter they’ve been in the past, Punk and Orton seemed like childhood buddies upon their reunion.

CM Punk and Randy Orton
CM Punk and Randy Orton [via- Fightful Wrestling on X]

The Viper also cleared up the air regarding his previously reported “beef” with The Voice of the Voiceless. Randy affirmed that he never hated Punk. Adjudging himself insecure back in the day, the 14-time World Champion asserted he had that kind of gimmick.

The two men even hugged it out during the aforementioned watch-along across WWE’s social media platforms. The Apex Predator also said he’s glad that the 45-year-old came back home.

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