CM Punk’s latest attack on Hulk Hogan during the January 6, 2025, episode of WWE Raw sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Punk declared, “You put Hulk Hogan in the Royal Rumble, I’ll throw his dusty ass over the top rope, and I’ll kill Hulkamania once and for all.”
Hulk Hogan’s once-unassailable popularity has taken a significant hit in recent years. This was evident during his appearance on the January 6th episode of Raw, where he was met with a chorus of boos from the live crowd. This stark contrast to his once-heroic reception underscored the changing perception of the Hulkster.
Hogan’s reputation has been tarnished by several controversies. In 2012, racist comments surfaced, leading to his termination from WWE. Additionally, he’s been accused of burying talent throughout his career and lying during interviews. These revelations, coupled with his declining popularity, have made him a polarizing figure in the wrestling world.
Punk’s disdain for Hogan has been evident for years. In a 2021 interview with Brandon Walker on Rasslin’, Punk expressed his contempt for the Hulkster, stating, “I think Hogan is a piece of shit.” He further elaborated on his feelings, suggesting that Hogan, like many top stars, had a tendency to hinder the rise of others. “It’s like the kids say, there is levels to this, and you don’t know until you ascend to those levels. One of the things I’ve always hated about the wrestling business is it seems that people — there are exceptions to the rule, some people are good about it — there have always been people who have gotten to a certain level and they are almost taught, and the culture is fostered for them to believe that they need to make sure nobody else gets to that level They don’t want anyone to ‘steal their spot.’ Throwing my name in the hat with someone like Steve Austin, who is arguably the biggest star the business has ever seen. A lot of this is subjective . at business periods and eras and box office receipts and all that other stuff. I think Hogan is a piece of shit.”
Hogan himself has acknowledged the tension between the two. In a 2019 appearance on the Steve Austin Show, Hogan revealed that he had heat with Punk over a minor incident at the Raw 15th Anniversary show. Hogan explained that he was going through a difficult personal time and didn’t acknowledge Punk, leading to the misunderstanding. “When I went back for Raw’s 15th Anniversary, I walked in the dressing room and there was a guy named CM Punk. I didn’t know who he was. I heard that I had heat because I didn’t say hello to him. I remember that night, I was going through so much crap at home and my life was falling apart. When I walked through the dressing room, all I could think about was, ‘I need to get home and fix my life.’ I don’t remember seeing, meeting, talking or disrespecting anyone that day but I had to live with that because I was in that space.”
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff also weighed in on the feud. In a 2023 interview on the “Going Broadway” podcast, Bischoff criticized Punk for his comments about Hogan, suggesting that Punk’s career accomplishments pale in comparison to Hogan’s. “I don’t have any respect for him. I gave him the benefit of the doubt because I never met the guy.” Bischoff also took issue with Punk’s comparison of his AEW debut to the arrival of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in WCW, dismissing it as “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard anybody say.” “When he came out and the first thing he did was go for the cheap heat … by burying Hulk Hogan. It’s like, ‘Wait a minute, dude. You never met Hulk Hogan; you’ve never worked with Hulk Hogan; you certainly don’t know Hulk Hogan; and you haven’t accomplished a fraction of a fraction of what Hulk Hogan has accomplished. So why are you burying him?'” “When a talent has to go to the low-hanging, ‘cheap heat’ fruit right out of the shoot, that tells me he doesn’t really have anything. He exposed himself to me at that point. He exposed to me what he didn’t have.”
CM Punk and Hulk Hogan have a long and complicated history, and it’s unlikely they’ll be burying the hatchet anytime soon. With Hogan currently working with WWE, it’ll be interesting to see what happens if their paths cross at a future event.
