CM Punk’s first venture to Saudi Arabia didn’t go as planned. While the fans in Riyadh were excited to see the Second City Saint, they did not forget what he had said. In 2019, Punk went off against WWE and The Miz for the company’s partnership with the region.

When CM Punk agreed to wrestle John Cena at Night of Champions 2025, many fans labeled him a hypocrite

Rob Van Dam Believes CM Punk Has Grown

Speaking on his “1 Of A Kind” podcast, the ECW icon addressed the situation. He said,

“No, I don’t, I don’t consider it hypocrisy, unless it was done at the same time. You know what I mean? Because people can grow, the perspective can change.”

“And so if he said something five years ago and then now, he feels different about it, then that’s not what a hypocrite is. You know, like we all grow, feel different.”

Van Dam wasn’t the only person who had defended Punk’s choice to attend the show in Saudi Arabia. Veteran commentator Jim Ross also weighed in on the matter. On his podcast, “Grilling JR,” he said,

“It’s overthought. Overthought. And you know, I know that Punk’s heart is in the right place. He’s controversial, that’s why he’s so fun to follow. Phil’s a good friend of mine.”

“I am a full-on supporter of his work, yes. I really am. I still wish he was at AEW, quite frankly. He adds a lot to any presentation that he’s involved in.”

“So I think we’re overthinking it a little bit, quite honestly, and it kind of gets a little bit, I don’t know, gets a little bit overthought, as I said. Just take it easy.”

“It’s supposed to be wrestling. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be entertaining. That’s what I’ve always thought.”

People continue to defend Punk and praise him for apologising to the fan present at the kickoff show. However, some skeptics online speculated that WWE planted the fan to create a feel-good moment and soften the backlash.