Unseen Backstage Footage Reveals CM Punk’s Reaction to Promo Battle on 1/22 WWE RAW

The January 22 episode of WWE RAW was headlined by CM Punk and Cody Rhodes going head-to-head in a promo battle and it did not disappoint. Now, unseen backstage footage of Punk showed his reaction to the promo battle as well.

During the promo battle, Punk expressed pride in Cody Rhodes’ journey to stardom. However, the tone shifted as Punk discussed the upcoming Royal Rumble match, indicating his intention to break his promise to Dusty Rhodes by targeting Cody Rhodes.

Punk questioned Cody Rhodes’ ability to separate business from personal matters and drew a personal connection by mentioning his own father’s profession as an electrician, subtly challenging his embodiment of the American Dream.

Cody Rhodes fired back, referencing CM Punk’s iconic pipebomb promo from 2011. He accused Punk of not fulfilling the promises made in that promo and asserted that he had accomplished those feats, positioning himself as more of a CM Punk than Punk himself.

WWE took to their Instagram account and uploaded a backstage video of CM Punk reacting to his recent promo with Cody Rhodes. The 45-year-old acknowledged the tension between them and hoped they could maintain their friendship despite the upcoming Men’s Royal Rumble match.

“I felt some tension there, and that is what the Royal Rumble is about. There are no friends, right? Doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to be adversaries or enemies, but something about it just feels like on Sunday morning we might be. I’m hoping that is not the case, but I don’t know.”

We will have to wait and see who will end up winning the Royal Rumble match on January 27th, as both Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are more than determined to win the Royal Rumble match and punch their ticket to WrestleMania 40.

What do you think of what CM Punk had to say? Who do you think will end up winning the Royal Rumble match? Sound off in the comments section below!