WWE News: ‘Friday Night SmackDown’ Superstar Shoots Hard On CM Punk

During a recent interview with The India Times, AJ Styles responded to CM Punk’s recent comments in which he claimed fans shouldn’t be surprised about Styles’ alleged silence in regards to the current racial issues in the U.S. Styles had nothing nice to say about the former WWE Champion, suggesting that there is no love lost between the pair.

According to Styles, he doesn’t owe Punk a proper response as he doesn’t have any respect for the former WWE superstar. Styles also claimed that it’s not his job to comment on social issues.

“I will not react at all coming from a guy that I don’t [have] any respect [for] anyway. It doesn’t really matter. Look, my job as a performer is to perform and get the mind off all the things that have happened throughout the world. I am not going to react to people saying ridiculous and stupid things.”

The origins of the incident can be traced back to last week’s episode of WWE Backstage. During the episode, Punk came out in support of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Vince McMahon and WWE officials are also reportedly supporting the cause, and have increased their efforts to be more inclusive, but some superstars have voiced opposing views or stayed silent.

After the show, Punk took to Twitter and noted how the response to the current social climate has caused people to reveal who they really are. Punk also stated that no one should be excused for their poor viewpoints, whether they be family or popular celebrities.

"I'm not here to pretend to understand how black people feel. It's not my place to tell them how to react." – @CMPunk #WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/GgWAPz4jkQ

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) June 3, 2020

A fan subsequently responded by highlighting how Styles had been silent throughout the social upheaval, having instead used social media to promote his Mixer stream and company work. Punk responded by insinuating that Styles’ lack of interest has been “obvious for years.”

Punk didn’t clarify what he meant, but he may have been referring to one of Styles’ previous controversies. As recalled by Instinct Magazine, footage emerged in 2018 of Styles using homophobic slurs during some of his older matches, which resulted in the wrestler receiving some criticism.

While the Styles issue was different from what’s going on in the U.S. right now in regards to social issues, Styles was criticized for supposedly harboring anti-progressive viewpoints. However, it’s possible that Punk was referring to something else entirely, as both performers are veterans who have known each other for years.

At the time of this writing, Punk hasn’t responded to Styles’ latest interview comments.