ECW Legend Defends CM Punk’s Alleged Hypocrisy Over Performing at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia

CM Punk is perhaps the most outspoken and controversial star in WWE history. Examples of this quality are well-documented with his 2011 ‘Pipebomb’ promo and rants outside the ring about various issues, ranging from the independent circuit and backstage stories. However, one major rant came in 2020 when Punk lambasted The Miz online in relation to the WWE star performing in Saudi Arabia for cash despite the country’s alleged history of human rights violations. But in 2025, Punk wrestled John Cena at Night of Champions in the Arab nation. This wasn’t free of controversy. On the NOC kick-off show, Punk was targeted by a WWE fan in the crowd about his comments, after which Punk publicly apologized for his rant from years ago. And naturally, this has attracted many naysayers calling Punk a hypocrite owing to his persona of being outspoken but still apologising after reaping the benefits of performing in Saudi Arabia. However, Rob Van Dam has stepped in to defend the former WWE Champion.Taking to his ‘1 of a Kind’ podcast, the former ECW World Champion said, "I don't consider it hypocrisy unless it was done at the same time. People can grow. Their perspective can change. If he said something 5 years ago, and then now he feels different about it. That's not what a hypocrite is. We all grow, feel different.”The WWE Hall of Famer further added, “Let's say you're a kid in school and you think this kid's a jerk, and then you start talking to him, and then you find out he's really cool, and he becomes your friend. Are you a hypocrite? No. You just have more information now than you had before, and so your view has changed."This reflection from Van Dam speaks highly about Punk’s transformation since returning to the WWE at Survivor Series 2023. The former WWE Champion is no longer the guy with an extremely edgy attitude and is now firmly established as the locker room leader. Moreover, he even main-evented his first-ever WrestleMania this year against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Apart from this, Punk’s change of heart even received appreciation from WWE CCO Triple H, who was happy with Punk’s newfound perspective. Also read: Former ECW World Champion accuses current WWE Champion John Cena of getting other Superstars fired