"I still wish he was at AEW" – WWE legend reacts to CM Punk's Saudi Arabia controversy

CM Punk has been the talk of the wrestling world since appearing at WWE Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to Jim Ross, the reaction to The Straight Edge Superstar's apology has been blown out of proportion.

In 2019, Punk referred to WWE's Saudi Arabia events as "blood money" while criticizing The Miz on X. The Best in the World received loud boos at the Night of Champions kickoff event on June 27, prompting him to issue a heartfelt apology.

Ross spoke on his Grilling JR podcast about the social media reaction to Punk's remarks. The WWE Hall of Famer and All Elite Wrestling commentator said he considers Punk a friend and wishes he still worked for AEW.

"It's overthought," Ross stated, discussing the backlash Punk received. "I know that Punk's heart is in the right place. He's controversial. That's why he's so fun to follow. Phil's a good friend of mine. I am a full-on supporter of his work, I really am. I still wish he was at AEW, quite frankly. He adds a lot to any presentation that he's involved in, so I think we're overthinking it a little bit, quite honestly." [58:34 – 59:06]

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Ross has been an AEW broadcast team member since the company launched in 2019. CM Punk joined the promotion in 2021 before a real-life confrontation with Jack Perry led to his firing in 2023.

Jim Ross addresses fans' reactions to CM Punk and Cody Rhodes

In recent months, Cody Rhodes has also received a mixed reaction from WWE fans. Unlike CM Punk, The American Nightmare's crowd responses are based around the booking of his babyface character rather than real-life situations.

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Jim Ross believes fans should "relax" and enjoy WWE's product instead of turning against top stars:

"Take it easy, folks. He's got a job to do. He's doing it the best he can. He's a hell of a hand, and I have great respect for Cody and his work, so I think sometimes people take this s**t too seriously. I just say relax. What's the expression I use sometimes? Lighten up, Francis." [1:00:25 – 1:00:52]

Rhodes defeated Randy Orton at Night of Champions to win the 2025 King of the Ring tournament. On August 2-3, he will face John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam in a WrestleMania 41 rematch.

Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart