World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins recently spoke about his reaction to seeing CM Punk make his shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGame and the possibility of mending fences. Just a few weeks ago the WWE saw the biggest return to the promotion probably ever. Punk returned to WWE after leaving on extremely bad terms and wrestling for WWE’s biggest US competition, AEW.
RELATED: Kevin Owens Explains Why Sami Zayn Is Such a Great Pro Wrestler
So far Punk hasn’t punched anyone, that we know of, and has mended fences with Triple H. He has even poked fun at his brawls in AEW and making up with Triple H. So far he seems to be on his best behavior and is doing everything right.
Seth Rollins Admits He Let His Hate Take Over at Survivor Series
Even though everything seems to be good with Punk now, his return caused a huge issue with one of WWE’s top stars. After the men’s WarGames match Punk came out and fans caught Seth Rollins’ reaction to Punk. He was seen yelling and cursing at Punk and seemed to be very angry. Conflicting reports have come out about whether or not the men in the match knew Punk was back and would be coming out.
Now that some time has passed Rollins has had time to calm down. During a recent interview with Jimmy Traina for the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Seth Rollins discussed his regret over his headline-grabbing reaction at Survivor Series. The World Heavyweight Champion stated the following:
“Upon reflection, it’s easy to understand why something like that will be kept as close to the vest as possible. I understand why very few people knew what was going on that day, but in the moment, I was extremely emotional … It was a very raw, real, and emotional response from me. Did I go too far? Maybe. But it was what it was, and I can’t take it back.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the ranscription
Rollins’ hatred of Punk is well documented. He doesn’t like how he conducts himself and went as far as calling him a “cancer” in wrestling. According to Seth Rollins, nothing has changed regarding how he feels about CM Punk.
Even though Seth Rollins is holding on to his disdain for Punk, he does regret how he handled the moment of seeing Punk again. He sees himself as a role model for the younger WWE fans. Rollins admitted that at that moment, he felt like he lost his composure and regretted how he handled himself with the cursing. Rollins continued:
“I regret that part of it [cursing] because I do take my responsibility as a role model for our younger audience pretty seriously. So that part of it I do have regrets over. I wish I handled myself with a bit more composure, but I can’t take it back. I can apologize to our younger audience and their families if I offended anybody, but it was what it was.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the ranscription
Rollins is currently the top guy on RAW, and he still holds the World Heavyweight Title. He’s been a fighting champion as well, in strong contrast to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on SmackDown. His most recent defense was against Jey Uso on last week’s Raw.
Rollins is starting to run out of capable challengers on Raw. However, the hostility between himself and Punk has created a lot of buzz. Fans are asking for a match between Rollins and Punk. Rollins said he would be open to working with Punk in the future, and he was also asked if it’s even possible for him to refuse to work with someone. The Champion answered:
“I mean, it’s a negotiation, for sure. It’s a conversation. No one’s forcing something on you, but I am a businessman, for sure. I’m open to doing business, if it’s there to be done. And shoot, man, I’m open to mending fences if that’s even possible. I know that might sound crazy, but I’m open to it. I’m almost 38, and I ain’t got time to hold all these grudges. So I think it’s a lot of energy to hold that negativity in, and I’d like to put that energy somewhere else and make it positive.”
H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Punk Exploring His Options
During last night’s episode of Raw, CM Punk revealed he is signing with the Raw brand and he declared his entrance for the Royal Rumble. During the segment, Punk was confronted by none other than Seth Rollins, who said he’d defend WWE from CM Punk.
Punk made his decision after showing up on last Friday’s SmackDown, and he even appeared with Shawn Michaels at NXT Deadline in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Saturday. However, he ultimately made Raw his new home. Punk landing on Raw makes sense because the momentum just seems to be heading toward a CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins match. The big question at this point is when will it happen?
RELATED: WWE Superstars React To CM Punk’s Shocking Return
Do you think Seth Rollins’ reaction to seeing CM Punk return was out of line? Would you have been as upset if a hated ex-coworker returned? Do you think he let down young fans with his behavior and language? Which brand would you like to see Punk join? Let us know which championship Punk should challenge for first.
SOURCE: Wrestling Inc., Sports Illustrated, Wrestling Inc.
KEEP READING: Randy Orton Admits He Was A Big Jerk When He Was Younger
