CM Punk’s unexpected apology at WWE’s Saudi Arabia show might’ve had fans crying hypocrisy—but Booker T sees it differently.
During a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, the WWE legend weighed in on Punk’s viral apology for his 2019 tweet that took aim at WWE’s controversial relationship with Saudi Arabia.
A fan sent in a Super Chat asking for Booker’s reaction, and the two-time Hall of Famer didn’t hold back, hinting that maturity had a lot to do with Punk’s change of heart. Booker started by acknowledging that Punk probably apologized to more than just the Saudi crowd.
“I mean, you know… I’m sure he said he would. I’m sure he apologized to The Miz too when he came back to the company… may not have done it live in front of the people or anything like that, but I’m sure he came back, he made it. I’m sure he did that with a lot of people.”
Booker then made it clear that the version of CM Punk fans are seeing now isn’t the same guy who walked out of WWE years ago.
“The Punk that left… and the Punk that’s come back — those are two different guys. I really must say that. And if you can’t apologize for something that you said and we get past it… there’s something wrong with you.”
For Booker, it all comes down to being able to admit when you’ve slipped up and moving forward.
“…Not me, not me. If I could apologize and say, ‘Man, I’m sorry,’ especially when you know it’s something said on a whim, in the spirit of the moment… and you just happen to get the backlash from it… If you can’t apologize and move on — we got a problem. That’s the way I look at it.”
Punk’s original 2019 tweet slammed WWE’s Saudi shows, echoing fan criticism over the country’s human rights record. But his recent surprise appearance—and apology—at WWE’s latest Saudi event led many to accuse him of selling out.
Booker, however, framed it as growth—and, with a smirk, implied the Saudi payday probably didn’t hurt either.
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The question now is simple: do you buy CMPunk’s apology as genuine maturity or something else? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
