Hulk Hogan has been quite a controversial figure in WWE, but that has not stopped WWE from giving him a fitting tribute last week on SmackDown and tonight on RAW. What made it more intriguing is how CM Punk, the man who loathed The Hulkamaniac to the core, was present on the front row during his tribute. In his typical manner, Punk facially expressed that he was not too thrilled to be there.
However, not everyone had the same character growth as the Second City Saint. Seth Rollins and AJ Styles, who equally detest the wrestling icon, were absent during the 10-bell salute. Rollins’ absence could be understood, but Styles, who was later part of the show with the Kabuki Warriors, was taking on the Judgement Day. Thus, subtly conveying their indifference towards the Hall of Famer’s demise at the age of 71.
CM Punk Doubles Down on Hulk Hogan’s Winning Mentality
CM Punk’s presence at Hulk Hogan’s tribute does not mean that the wrestler has changed his opinion about the deceased veteran. After all, days before he took shots at him, he mocked his unbeatable persona during his time in WWE and WCW, and had a different mindset that elevated his in-ring character.
During an interview with JoBlo Celebrity Access, Punk and Rhea Ripley were present to promote WWE: Unreal. He reflected on the fans’ perspective and how a loss can add complexity to a storyline. He said,
I think it’s more frustrating for my fans, probably, because I think obviously super Rhea Ripley fans, they want Rhea Ripley to be all the champions and beat everybody. And CM Punk fans, they—‘Oh, Punk can’t lose. He’s gotta do this, he’s gotta do that.’ And I am now of the age, and my perspective is there’s much more to do with a character on a television show with a loss. And to me, it’s about how you rebound and respond to that.
The Voice of the Voiceless was not going to let the American Sterling off the hook so easily. He continued that being “on top of the world” felt quite monotonous to him.
Punk mimicked Hogan’s voice and stated how his younger self would love to become the next Hulk Hogan, and he must be at the top of the company.
To me, being kingship and on top of the world and beating everybody is very one-dimensional now. Like, you know, if you would have asked me when I was 25, I would have been like, ‘Yep, that’s it. I’m Hulk Hogan. I got to beat everybody. I got to be the champ.’ And it’s just from a storytelling perspective, it’s not interesting to me.
He emphasized that he does not mind his name being in the mix and feels absolutely fine, as each week he competes and proves his haters wrong, who doubt if he should be “operating” at such a high level in WWE.
Seth Rollins Calls Out the Complexity of Hulk Hogan’s Persona
The demise of Hulk Hogan has not softened Seth Rollins’ opinion of him, as on multiple occasions, he has called him out for his racist actions and said that he would not like to be associated with him in any manner via threads.
A similar notion was shared by The Messiah when the fans booed the WWE Hall of Famer when he made his last appearance on RAW’s debut on Netflix. During an interview with Good Morning Football, the former World Heavyweight Champion stated that Hogan deserved every bit of the negative reaction and he loved every bit of it. He said,
I am all for people getting what they deserve. That’s how I feel about Hulk Hogan getting booed. If you are getting booed by the masses, there’s a reason for it, alright? So, I don’t know if Hulk fully understands the scope. But people get what they deserve, so I’m happy to see it. I love to see it.
However, he did clarify that he respects him for his enormous contribution to the business and how he inspired him to be a professional wrestler, but he needs to take accountability for his actions. Rollins added,
I said this before about the Hulkster: he’s the guy that got me into this industry as far as love for professional wrestling. So I’ll never take that away from him. What he’s done for our business, I’ll never take that away from him. But I do think there’s some responsibility that he needs to own up to that he hasn’t yet and maybe when he finally figures that out, he might be able to move forward with our fans, so we’ll see.
Nevertheless, the passing away of the legend has not bothered him; just like Punk, he has not expressed his grief like other locker room talents and legends as they heard the tragic news.
Now, the question that remains in the minds of the fans is if they will finally get to see Seth Rollins return from his injury and screw CM Punk at SummerSlam. Who do you think The Visionary will cash in his MITB contract against? Let us know in the comments below!
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