Corey Graves hasn’t all the time seen eye-to-eye with CM Punk, but those issues at the moment are up to now, and he’s genuinely completely satisfied to see Punk thriving again in WWE. The 2 previously had a falling out following Punk’s departure from the corporate in 2014, which strained their relationship for years.
Speaking with TV Insider, Graves opened up about how the 2 were in a position to mend fences and move forward. He reflected on their past differences while also sharing insight into where things stand between them today.
You possibly can take a look at some highlights from the interview below:
On his untelevised WWE match with CM Punk 20 years ago: “He and I actually tag teamed against The Gymini. I had a tryout at OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling) on the time. I did the dark match and ended up not getting signed off of it. Punk was already signed and under contract at the moment. He has been one in every of my closest friends. I’ve known him for close to twenty years at this point.”
On seeing Punk back on the highest in WWE: “It truly is wild. Life on this business is so unusual. Everyone has a distinct story, but to have someone who I bond with so deeply after I was attempting to get ahead of the business. He was all the time a step or two ahead of where I used to be. I looked as much as him for that. I type of tried to follow in his footsteps. I patterned myself after him, right, improper, or indifferent. I’m sure I learned just a few bad habits along the way in which, but he was type of my wrestling big brother. That’s how I checked out it. Then life happens. There are the well-documented issues he had with WWE. He and I fell off for some time, but when he got here back, I made it some extent to discuss with him. It’s one in every of those things where I imagine time heals all wounds or a minimum of most wounds.
“We had a heart-to-heart. Each of us apologized for a few various things and let or not it’s water under the bridge. Since then, we’ve continued to grow close again. He’s one in every of my favorites to this present day, despite the very fact he’s my friend. As a talent, I’ve all the time been a fan of CM Punk. With all of the headaches and issues and struggles he has had in his profession, the connection between him and WWE had soured so badly. Then to have it come full-circle and know, despite what he says in interviews about what is very important to him, in Phil [Brooks’] (Punk) heart he desires to be the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania. So, I’m completely satisfied for my friend in that respect. To know the fan in him, not only professionally speaking, he’s in the highest spot and that’s where he deserves to be. It truly is a dream come true for him. There remains to be a part of him that acknowledges that and realizes that, and I’m completely satisfied for him to get to live that.”
Sidney Akeem recently looked back on his time in WWE NXT, admitting that he didn’t have the extent of creative freedom he needed to totally bring the SCRYPTS character to life. Akeem portrayed SCRYPTS from 2022 until his release in 2024, after previously appearing on WWE SmackDown as Reggie, Carmella’s acrobatic sommelier.
Now competing on the independent scene, Akeem has reinvented himself with a superhero-inspired persona named Soleil. Speaking on a recent edition of the “Ropes n Riffs’” podcast, he explained that Soleil is way closer to the vision he originally had for SCRYPTS — something he couldn’t fully realize in NXT resulting from what he described as “too many cooks” involved within the creative process.
You possibly can take a look at some highlights from the podcast below:
On his latest character Soleil: “To be honest, Soleil is what I wanted SCRYPTS to be, but I didn’t have full creative freedom with the SCRYPTS character. It was just so many alternative cooks within the kitchen that if you saw SCRYPTS that was an accumulation of the pinnacle author, the writing team, this person, that person, myself and whatnot and it was just in every single place. But that is 100% authentically me, and I used to be hired due to my story in WWE but I never got to make use of that story. And so I said, if my story and my athletic ability was adequate for me to get hired in an organization where I had zero experience, then that story should be good. So I need to tell that story.”
On the notion of creative freedom on the indie scene: “After I got to the indies I seen people discuss how they’ve a lot freedom on the indies to do whatever. They don’t talk concerning the grind and the way hard it’s and bookings they arrive sparingly, but they talk concerning the freedom you could have and also you’re a lot happier. I used to be very completely satisfied after I put this mask on and did this story.”
“I could have stayed Sidney Akeem and whatnot, but I’m going to do each. I’m not going to lose who I’m, because I’m a personality myself. But Soleil represents an enormous group of individuals, mainly kids that seem like me or been through things that I’ve been through because I’m letting them know that it’s alright to placed on a mask, not to cover, but as an indication of courage. It’s an indication of, I’m gonna do what I got to do, regardless if the world around me tells me that I can’t.”
And at last, you’ll be able to take a look at the updated WWE WrestleMania 42 lineup below:
* Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
* World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns
* WWE Women’s Championship Match: Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley
* Women’s World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan
* WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch
* WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams
* Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
* Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
NOTE: If you could have any news suggestions or podcast recaps that you simply’d prefer to send in for us to post (full credit will probably be given to you), please email me at RClarkPWS@Yahoo.com.