CM Punk has been branded a ‘hypocrite’ by WWE fans after it was confirmed he’d be making his Saudi Arabia debut.
The Best in the World accepted John Cena’s challenge for a WWE Championship match at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 28.
CM Punk was outspoken about WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows before he made his return to the company in 2023 at Survivor Series.
Long-time fans have remembered his previous comments and called him out for wrestling at Night of Champions.
Fans furious with CM Punk for accepting Saudi Arabia match
Punk has yet to wrestle in Saudi Arabia since returning to the company in 2023, often finding inventive ways around not appearing.
He didn’t appear at King and Queen of the Ring in May 2024 due to a legitimate injury he suffered at the Royal Rumble.
He was written off TV with a fake injury ahead of the Crown Jewel in 2024, selling the effects of his Hell in a Cell clash with Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood.
That’s all about to change, as his match against John Cena was confirmed for Night of Champions at the end of June.
Fans are not happy with Punk’s U-turn on Saudi Arabia and have criticised the star for going back on his word. “Being a CM Punk fan is just accepting he’s a hypocrite,” said one fan on X.
One fan wrote, “CM Punk sold his morals and soul for a paycheck. Biggest hypocrite ever!”, while another said: “CM Punk going to Saudi to fight for the title shows how much of a hypocrite he truly is.”
“I love CM Punk, but he’s a hypocrite if he works the Saudi show,” declared another fan. “He called out WWE for years about wrestling in Saudi. What happened to his ideals and principles?”
Punk told The Miz to “Go suck a blood money covered d— in Saudi Arabia” in 2020, suggesting he was far from happy with WWE’s collaboration with the Middle Eastern country.
He slightly changed his tune last month when he said he didn’t ‘hate’ Saudi Arabia during an Instagram Live Q&A.
CM Punk has previously gone back on his word
This is not the first time Punk has gone back on his word since returning to the company as he famously had to eat his words to gain the biggest match of his career.
He famously criticised two-night WrestleMania events while in AEW, before accepting a slot at the main event of night one of the 2025 show.
“If you think the grass is greener on the other side, be my guest,” he said during his feud with MJF on AEW Dynamite.
“Go ahead, leave. Main event night four of a buy-one-get-one-free extravaganza, and then get released faster than you last in the sack.”
Punk starred in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 41 in a triple-threat match against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.