Grayson Waller revealed that CM Punk’s reputation as a veteran willing to help WWE‘s younger talent isn’t just an act for the cameras.
The current NXT Champion said he has seen Punk working with NXT wrestlers backstage, including watching tape of matches when there were no cameras around.
Speaking to Peter Rosenberg in a recent interview, Waller said:
“We’ve had a lot of interactions, and the one thing I’ll say about [CM] Punk is everything you see about him coming back and being this guy who, you know, cares and wants to help, it’s all true. I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen the times when it’s not filmed, you know, when there’s no one around, and he’s upstairs at NXT watching tape with some new kids.”
“I understand that he’s doing some great things for the next generation. For me personally, that’s not the Punk I want. That’s not the Punk I grew up watching. That’s not the Punk that like made me want to get into wrestling and wanted me to grab a mic. This new Punk is like, it’s soft, and I just think he’s very lucky because the new guys who’ve come up against him have just had their tail between their legs. They’ve been so soft.”
Even after praising Punk’s backstage work, Waller kept the stance he has taken toward the Best in the World. He made clear he wants to face a more aggressive version of the current Undisputed WWE Champion.
“Grayson Waller ain’t soft. Like, I just want to challenge him. I know he’s the best in the world at what he does. He’s not lying about that. And for me personally, I want to test myself against him. And I just hope he’s still got it in him somewhere. I just pray that Punk still exists because we haven’t seen him in a while.”
Waller and Punk had a backstage confrontation at an NXT live event in August, as previously reported here on Wrestling Noticias.