CM Punk made headlines during the WWE Night of Champions: Riyadh 2025 Kickoff show with a public apology that’s stirred significant buzz online.

Speaking directly to a fan in the crowd, Punk apologized for controversial remarks he made in 2019 aimed at The Miz, where he infamously tweeted, “Go suck a blood money covered d*ck in Saudi Arabia, you f***ing dork.” During the segment, Punk stated, “I apologized to The Miz, and… Muhammad, I sincerely apologize to you and all of Saudi Arabia.”

The moment has sparked speculation that it may have been staged to give Punk a platform to formally apologize. However, according to a report from Fightful Select, WWE staff have not received any indication that the fan interaction was a setup or that the moment was orchestrated in advance.

Later that evening during the Night of Champions post-show, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque praised Punk for his personal growth, saying, “If you’d have told me 10 years ago that CM Punk would be here in Saudi for WWE, I would have thought you’re out of your mind. But people grow, people change, people evolve. I was privileged not just to watch him prepare for this fight, but to watch him grow as a person.”

CM Punk went on to headline the event, facing John Cena for the WWE Undisputed Championship. Despite interference from Seth Rollins, who attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Cena retained the title with a clean victory over Punk.

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