Days before he tries to take Cody Rhodes’ title, CM Punk offered his opponent a striking bit of praise.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, the Undisputed WWE Champion admitted he sees a lot of himself in Rhodes, and believes the American Nightmare has ultimately gone further than he did.
Cody might not want to admit that at some point in time, maybe even currently, he has looked up to me. I have no problem admitting, no shame in saying, damn, I’m proud of where he came from because I think he’s surpassed what I did.
Punk pointed to the parallel arcs of their careers as the reason he holds Rhodes in such high regard.
He did the same thing I did. He left and he came back a bigger star for it, and then he accomplished things that I never did at that point. It’s fun to see. It really is.
The comparison is an easy one to draw. Both men walked away from WWE at the height of their popularity amid frustration with the company, spent time away, and returned to bigger receptions than ever. Rhodes helped launch AEW before coming back in 2022 and finally “finishing the story” by winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. Punk left in 2014, went to the UFC, and made his own stunning return in 2023.
Punk challenges Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship on Night 1 of SummerSlam on August 1 and 2 in Minneapolis, so the respect is coming right as the two prepare to collide over the biggest prize in the company.
