As former WWE star CM Punk has continued his media blitz to promote him joining UFC, WWE's top heel and "Mr. Money in the Bank" Seth Rollins has opened up about his thoughts on the "Best in the World."
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Punk walked out on the WWE amid frustrations with the company's injury protocol as he was at odds with the WWE doctors over a concussion he suffered at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view the night before he departed the company.
Punk recently laid into the WWE and its doctors on his friend Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast and said he received his termination papers in the mail on the day he married WWE Diva AJ Lee.
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Punk said there will never be a working relationship between him and the WWE again and Rollins appeared on the Cleveland-based This Is Awesome Wrestling Show and shared his thoughts on the matter among other topics.
Rollins, who has been on a meteoric rise in the WWE since the split of The Shield this past summer, was asked about his thoughts on Punk leaving the company and then announcing earlier this month that he has joined UFC..
"Good for him. Kudos to Punk for finding himself something to do after WWE," Rollins told the show per Wrestlingheadlines.com. "He's made a big splash over the last few weeks between his podcasts and signing with UFC. I wish him the best of luck. I really hope that he has as much success there as he has here. I think it will be very interesting for him to try something new. He's only been a pro wrestler since he was 18-years-old. For him, at his age, to step out of his comfort zone and try something new is pretty admirable and I'm looking forward to seeing how he does."
While Rollins was happy for Punk, he also said he believes that the situation between both sides could have had a happier ending.
"I think it could have [been] handled better, probably, on both sides," Rollins said. "And I think down the road, people involved will say the same thing. But as much as I don't necessarily agree with the way he left, I think I understand, mentally, where he was. This business can take a toll on you. You travel a lot. You get beat up a lot. There's a lot of frustration that's involved and mentally, over time, that can wear on you.
"It can put you in place where you're a different person. And when you're not happy with who you are and the person you want to be, you gotta take a step back. You gotta look at things outside the bubble a little bit. I think that's what he did and I think he realized that he needed to take a step back and see what was going on. And if he didn't like it, then he can move on. I think they agreed to disagree. Like I said, could have been handled differently from a public relations standpoint on both sides. I think once the dust settles, everything will feel itself out and it should be alright."
Lastly, Rollins said he believes Punk would be welcomed back in the WWE locker room if he ever decided to return despite his comments about guys like Vince McMahon, Triple H and Ryback.
"I don't see why not. He's a self-admitted jerk, first of all," he said. "And if you listen to his podcast, he didn't say that he was in a great mood the last few months that he was there. He admitted how grumpy he was and how much of a jerk he was, even more than he already is. I think we would welcome him back. [I don't hold too many] grudges. I think everyone deserves a second chance; an opportunity to redeem themselves. I would welcome him back. I'm sure he would face some resentment, as far as the locker room is concerned. But guys get over that stuff pretty quick. I think if it was best for business, yeah, I would be open to it for sure."
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