Grayson Waller has his sights set on a major dream match: CM Punk. Speaking on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Waller explained his history as a fan of Punk and his disappointment with the version of Punk that has returned to WWE.
“I’ve said it a few times now. I’m gonna keep saying it. Right now, I want Punk. I want Punk so bad, dude. Because, as I said, as a ROH guy, I’ve watched Punk for a long time. I love the stuff he did in Ring of Honor. I loved when he signed his WWE contract on the Ring of Honor Championship, that’s so good.”
‘We’ve Got This Real Soft Punk’
Waller recalled taking a shot at Punk online when he left his “last job,” posting a photo of himself icing his jaw with a Pepsi can after a superkick from Jey Uso. He was expecting a more chaotic version of Punk to return to WWE.
“So when he was coming over here, I was like, This is gonna be fun. What Punk are we gonna get? And then we’ve got this real soft Punk. So I want to find out who the real Punk is.”
‘That’s Not The Punk That I Love’
Waller detailed how Punk is now helpful and nice backstage, a far cry from the persona he expected. “I’ll give some examples. I go to NXT last year, and he’s there with Fraxiom watching their match back, giving them some advice. And then Roxanne’s there and he’s like, ‘Hey, Waller, want to come watch this match?’ What do you mean? He’s really helpful backstage, and he’s super nice and all this. I’m either gonna be really disappointed that he’s softened, and this is the new Punk, and he’s just a really nice guy now, or the real Punk is hiding in there, and I want to be the one to bring it out. That’s what I want to do.”
“Because it’s like, I guess I was ready to fight him backstage. I thought that’s what we were gonna do. I was like This is gonna be sick, like he’s gonna start causing chaos, like he’s gonna beat gonna beat up little flops backstage again, I’m in, dude. But now he’s just a really nice guy and very helpful to everyone, helps everyone at NXT, and does all this. That’s not the Punk that I love. I want to bring it back out, so I’m gonna get that opportunity.”
‘NXT Waller’ Hasn’t Arrived Yet
Waller concluded by saying he has told Punk to his face that he wants a confrontation, and he believes that the match will show a different side of himself.
“I’ve told him to his face, I’m like, there’s gonna be a day where I’m gonna stand across from you with a microphone, and I’m gonna tell you exactly what I think about you, and I want you to tell me exactly what you think about me. And I think that magic, because I don’t think we’ve seen NXT Waller on the main roster yet. I’ve had a lot of fun. I’m being very fun, but I don’t think they’ve seen how mean I can be, how cruel I can be. When I really lock in on something, like, I’m a different breed, and I don’t think I’ve been that recent. Just talking about it right now, I can feel it inside, that’s what I need. If you want to see a different side of me, put me against that guy. I’ll show you the real me.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight With Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full episode on podcast platforms.
