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CM Punk has opened up about the reason behind his hiatus from WWE television following WrestleMania 42.
Punk disappeared from WWE programming after the RAW following WrestleMania before making his return on the July 6 episode of RAW. On that night, he defeated Sami Zayn to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship, setting the stage for his ongoing rivalry with Cody Rhodes heading into SummerSlam 2026.
Speaking during a recent appearance on ESPN New York, Punk explained that his time away was the first extended break of his wrestling career that wasn’t caused by an injury or surgery.
“To, 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 go get a surgery or be injured. I just hung out with my wife.”
Punk went on to reveal that he endured a difficult year personally, explaining that several people close to him passed away while he was reigning as World Heavyweight Champion on RAW.
“I’m not going to say a rough year because suffering is relative, but I was World Heavyweight Champion on RAW for quite some time. During that entire time I was champion, I had at least three or four people that were very close to me pass away.”
Despite the losses, Punk said he continued showing up to work and never discussed what he was dealing with publicly.
“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.”
CM Punk Says WWE Hiatus Allowed Him To Reset Mentally
Punk said his hiatus allowed him to reset mentally and spend much-needed time with his wife before returning to WWE full-time.
“My time away was just to kind of reset. 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 champion and I’m on the road. I’m as full-time as full-time gets.”
He also defended his decision to step away from television, suggesting there should be no stigma around taking time to grieve.
“If you’re upset that I was mourning some dead friends, I think that’s a you problem. We should celebrate people taking some time for themselves.”
Since returning, Punk has quickly re-established himself at the top of WWE. After defeating Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship, he teamed with Cody Rhodes to defeat Zayn and Gunther in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event.
However, the celebration took a turn when Punk inadvertently struck Rhodes in the eye with the championship belt after the match. The incident led to a heated backstage confrontation between the two stars, with WWE producers attempting to defuse the situation. WWE initially uploaded footage of the confrontation to its social media platforms before quietly removing the video without offering an explanation.
ALSO READ: John Cena Wishes CM Punk Never Took A Break From WWE
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The post CM Punk Reveals Reason For WWE Hiatus After WrestleMania appeared first on Wrestlezone.
