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Sami Zayn recognized CM Punk’s greatness only after wrestling him

Live coverage and related reports for Sami Zayn recognized CM Punk’s greatness only after wrestling him.

AI Story Summary

What happened?

Sami Zayn says his view of CM Punk changed after actually wrestling him. Although Zayn still called Punk "phony," he told Busted Open Radio that he no longer considers Punk overrated after working with him, and Zayn recently took the WWE Championship from Punk. The comments came amid ongoing discussion about Punk’s reputation in the industry.

Key Takeaways

Sami Zayn says he didn’t fully appreciate CM Punk until they worked together in the ring.
Zayn still referred to Punk as "phony" but said he no longer views him as overrated.
Zayn recently took the WWE Championship from Punk, per the article.
Zayn made the remarks on Busted Open Radio when asked about Punk by Bully Ray.

AI Timeline

Before working together

Sami Zayn held a skeptical view of CM Punk and questioned his standing.

Earlier this year

Zayn had his first in-ring matches with CM Punk.

Recent title change

Sami Zayn defeated CM Punk to win the WWE Championship (as reported in the article).

Public comments

Zayn discussed his changed perspective on Busted Open Radio when Bully Ray asked about Punk.

Model: gpt-5-mini•Generated: Sep 16, 12:46 AM

Sources Covering This Story

Cageside Seats

Timeline

Sep 16, 12:37 AM

Sami Zayn recognized CM Punk’s greatness only after wrestling him

Cageside Seats • WWE

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - SEPTEMBER 11: Sami Zayn with a Helluva Kick to CM Punk during SmackDown at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on September 11, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/WWE via Getty Images) | WWE via Getty Images CM Punk has pissed off pretty much everyone in the pro wrestling industry at one time or another, and that’s led to plenty of folks being unwilling and therefore unable to recognize just how great he really is at what he does. It can look like he’s sloppy in the ring, and maybe he doesn’t have the typical look of top stars before him. But come on, right? The results speak for themselves. Well, one guy who has come around on him is the guy who just took the WWE championship from him, Sami Zayn. That’s what he told Busted Open Radio when Bully Ray asked if he still sees Punk as phony or overrated (via F4WOnline.com): “Phony, yeah. Overrated? I have to be honest, you know, I never got in the ring with him until earlier this year, and I can’t take it away fr

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