CM Punk has revealed that his nearly three-month absence from WWE television following WrestleMania 42 was due to grieving the loss of several close friends and taking time away to reset.
CM Punk disappeared from WWE programming after appearing on the WWE Raw following WrestleMania 42, with the company never providing an explanation for his absence. Speaking to ESPN New York, the Undisputed WWE Champion explained that it marked the first time in his career he had taken an extended break that was not caused by injury or surgery.
“In my business, in this company, for me to be able to say that I had time off and it wasn’t due to injury or surgery is remarkable. It was the first time in my career I had time off without having to get surgery or be injured. I just hung out with my wife,” Punk said.
Punk went on to explain that, while he was World Heavyweight Champion on Raw, he experienced several personal losses but continued to perform without speaking publicly about what he was going through.
“I’m not going to say a rough year, you know, because suffering is relative. I was World Heavyweight Champion on Raw for quite some time, and during that entire time I was champion, I had at least three or four people who were very close to me pass away,” Punk said.
“Each time, I was at work the next day. I didn’t talk about it publicly. I showed up partially because it helped me. Being here amongst my road family and being able to connect with the fans on that level helped me get through it, but there was still some stuff I needed to process. So my time away was just to kind of reset.”
CM Punk Also Said He Wanted To Spend Time With His Wife, AJ Lee, During His Break From WWE
CM Punk also said spending time with his wife, AJ Lee, was his main priority during the break. The couple have been married since 2014, with Punk saying the time at home was invaluable before returning to the road full-time.
“One day away from my wife is one day too many. I’ve been with her every single day, and now that I’m back I’m champ, and I’m on the road. I’m as full time as full time gets,” Punk said.
Punk also addressed criticism from anyone who questioned his absence, saying people should support those who take time away to deal with personal loss.
“If you’re upset that I was mourning some dead friends, I think that’s a you problem,” Punk said. “We should celebrate people taking some time for themselves.”
Punk returned to WWE television on the July 6 episode of Raw, where he defeated Sami Zayn to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship for the third time. He is now set to defend the title against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam.
