The Undertaker and CM Punk had two intense showdowns in WWE history, first in 2009, when Taker dethroned Punk as World Heavyweight Champion, and later at WrestleMania 29, where The Deadman claimed his final victory before Brock Lesnar shattered the legendary Streak.
Recently, The Phenom looked back on their battles, reigniting fan speculation about their real-life relationship. Was there actual bad blood between them, or was it just another day at the office for two of WWE’s biggest stars?
The “big” CM Punk vs. Undertaker dispute that started it all!
For years, rumors have swirled about tension between The Undertaker and CM Punk, with some believing their issues still linger today. Despite working together multiple times, speculation about backstage friction has persisted.
However, The Deadman recently set the record straight on his Six Feet Under podcast, revealing that he and Punk only ever clashed once, and it all came down to dress code.
Known for his rebellious streak, Punk often ditched the typical WWE superstar look for a more casual, straight-edge style. But when he pushed back against dress rules, arguing that John Cena was exempt, Undertaker shut it down, making it clear that rules still applied to him. In the podcast, he explained,
The only thing that ever was ever done or said between me and Punk that might have been and this is just how stupid things are and how everything that ever happens gets out. This is the thing that frustrates me the most. So we had an initiative at one point where they wanted us, the wrestlers when, you know, [traveling] to dress a little bit nicer.
They wanted us in business casual with a really relaxed [viewpoint] on the casual.
He further added,
I just stopped him. Because he was, you know, he was dressing like Punk did back in the day, whatever it was.
“I was like, like, ‘Hey, man, none of us like having to dress like this, but I think you’re getting a little bit of heat with the boys. You just might want to think about dressing a little better.’ If I recall correctly, he says, ‘Well, what about Cena?’ I may have replied, ‘You’re not Cena.’ There’s nothing wrong with that
Looking back, The Undertaker’s words were actually solid advice, just delivered with a bit of a dig. It might have sounded like a putdown, but there was truth in it, and funnily enough, CM Punk seemed to take it to heart.
For all his rebellious ways, Punk wasn’t above learning from veterans, even if the lesson came with some tough love.
The truth about CM Punk & The Undertaker’s years-long feud!
The Undertaker believes the whole situation was blown way out of proportion, and that’s what annoys him the most. What was really just a small disagreement over dress code somehow snowballed into years of speculation about lingering tension between him and CM Punk.
In reality, there was no major drama, just a veteran enforcing the rules and a rebellious star pushing back, which was nothing unusual in the locker room.
On the same Six Feet Under podcast conversation, The Deadman also reflected on their WrestleMania 29 match. He said,
I guess, you know, he thought he should have been the main event when we worked [at WrestleMania] against somebody else, not against me. Then, when he works with me, I’m not sure if he thought that he should have went over, but I mean he’s got confidence in himself, so I don’t — working wise, I mean, perfect, and that’s all I care about. At the end of the day, you don’t have to like me. You don’t have to be best friends, but somehow or another, it all got blown out of proportion that like, ‘Undertaker hates CM Punk.’ No. I don’t I try not to give people the power of hate.”
He acknowledged that Punk may have been frustrated about not being in the main event, but from Taker’s perspective, that had nothing to do with him. As far as their in-ring work went, he had no complaints. In fact, he praised Punk’s performance and made it clear, despite all the rumors, that there was never any real hate between them.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
