Ryback has addressed long-standing claims that he injured CM Punk during their time in WWE.

The two wrestlers have a history of intense rivalries, starting at Hell in a Cell 2012, where Punk retained the WWE Championship against Ryback with help from referee Brad Maddox.

Their feud continued at Survivor Series 2012, where Punk defended his title in a Triple Threat Match against Ryback and John Cena. Ryback challenged Punk in a TLC Match on RAW in early 2013, but interference from The Shield cost him the match.

Their rivalry reignited in late 2013 when Ryback teamed up with Paul Heyman, but it ended after Punk defeated him at Battleground 2013.

After leaving WWE in 2014, Punk made several scathing comments about Ryback on “The Art of Wrestling” podcast with Colt Cabana.

Punk accused Ryback of being reckless in the ring and claimed that his careless moves caused injuries, including a broken rib.

In a recent Instagram video, Ryback responded to Punk’s accusations, stating that he was careful when working with Punk, considering the latter’s injuries at that time.

Ryback said, “The reason is that I was as gentle with him as anyone I’ve ever worked with. If you watch my matches with Punk and compare them to Brock, Brock was a million times more physical than I was. I was aware of Punk’s injuries—he was always beat up and hurting backstage—so I was extra gentle with him. The one table spot that some people like to make a big deal out of—the truth is, the table broke, and he landed on padding. We accomplished what we needed to from that angle. I didn’t get in trouble. Not one person talked to me about it—not Vince, not Hunter, no one from the office. The spot went as planned. Was it perfect? No, but he landed on padding. It doesn’t really matter that he didn’t go directly through the middle of the table.”

In the same video, Ryback took responsibility for an incident with R-Truth.

He continued, “As for people who say, ‘Oh, you can’t hold yourself accountable; you never learn,’ that’s not true. I had an incident in the ring with R-Truth, whom I love dearly. I accidentally knocked the wind out of him by kicking him in the stomach. When we were taught that move in developmental, we were told to always lay it in but remind our opponent to tighten up so they can flex their abdomen. One particular night, I forgot to tell Truth to tighten up, and when I kicked him, it knocked the wind out of him. I felt horrible. He’s not a crybaby, he never complains, and he wasn’t mad about anything. I apologized for everything, but that’s one thing I truly regret. So I can hold myself accountable all day long. But with Punk, I was as good to him as I’ve been with anyone.”

You can watch the video below: