Fresh off WWE Elimination Chamber, CM Punk delivered a “State of the WWE” address on “WWE Raw” that called out the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and finally, his long-time rival Seth Rollins. This address eventually elevated from words to physicality when Rollins came out to confront Punk, leading to a colorful brawl in the ringside area, amongst the crowd, and later, backstage. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has since weighed in on this opening scene from “Raw,” which took security several attempts to de-escalate.
“Here’s the deal about CM Punk and Seth Rollins, bravo, two thumbs up! Rah, rah, rah, boom bah, what a way to kick off Raw,” Ray said on “Busted Open Radio.” “What a way to set the tone. Chaos and confusion. Just fighting all over the place. I absolutely loved it. It seemed disjointed. It was uncomfortable at times. It was very organic and very raw, and that’s what I loved about it.”
With their issues glaringly unresolved, “Raw” General Manager Adam Pearce arranged for Punk and Rollins to meet again next week, though this time inside a steel cage in NYC’s Madison Square Garden. According to Rollins, his subsequent beatdown on Punk will be “a sight to behold,” with Punk’s dreams of performing at WWE WrestleMania 41 being potentially squandered because of it.
48 hours before their brawl on “Raw,” Punk and Rollins crossed paths inside the 2025 Men’s Elimination Chamber. Punk eliminated Rollins in the match, courtesy of his GTS (and a follow-up Attitude Adjustment from Cena). Moments later, however, Rollins nailed Punk with a stomp, allowing Cena to capitalize with an STF for the win.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
