CM Punk Changes Perspective On Part-Time WWE Wrestlers Like The Rock

CM Punk says he has a new perspective now on part-timers like The Rock in WWE than he did 10 years ago.

During an interview with Alex McCarthy of Inside The Ropes, Punk opened up on how things have changed in WWE and why those changes have changed his perspective on part-time talent working in top positions on the card.

Definitely, I have a different perspective now than I did ten years ago, when I was working with The Rock. It was easy for everybody to say, ‘You’re not here. We’re grinding, we’re doing this.’ The schedule now is so much limited than it was ten years ago. I can’t point a finger at somebody else now and say, ‘Well, you’re not here.’
CM Punk (h/t Fightful)

Punk continued:

Plus, a guy like John Cena, to me, he’s a busy dude. He’s earned that right. He’s stated that he’s retiring, this is going to be his final run. So I’m less inclined to say, ‘You should be here doing this, doing that.’ Sometimes, the tickets sell themselves when we’re in these international markets, and you hear ‘John Cena retirement tour,’ that’s gonna put butts in seats.

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Punk further added:

But really at the end of the day, I think everybody just wants to rise to that level, and along the way, yeah, we’re gonna poke, we’re gonna prod. We’re gonna say, ‘Hey, Rock. You showed up here, how come you’re not here? Why aren’t you doing this?’ I think the fans do that too. I think they enjoy it when they see us do it, too. There’s no denying what a giant box office star The Rock is. I think peeling back a little bit and him being ‘Final Boss’ instead of being happy-go-lucky Rock, I think that is a character that can say, ‘Yeah, I’m not here all the time. Yeah, so what?
CM Punk (h/t Fightful)

Punk infamously aimed his pipe bomb promo at The Rock for taking his spot in the main event of WrestleMania. John Cena was also critical of The Rock along the way for leaving WWE with the bright lights of Hollywood in his eyes.

CM Punk is scheduled to wrestle in the men's Elimination Chamber match this weekend in Toronto. He'll face John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, and Logan Paul in that match with a shot at Cody Rhodes and the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line at WrestleMania 41.

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