The fan whose phone CM Punk knocked away in a Las Vegas hotel lobby following WrestleMania 42 has spoken out, and he says he is not looking to escalate the situation legally.
The fan, who has asked to remain anonymous, told TMZ that he is not planning to sue Punk or pursue criminal charges, but is asking for a personal acknowledgment from the WWE star.
“I want an apology, shake my hand, I’m not gonna sue him or put him in jail. I just want an apology,” the fan said.
TMZ also released additional footage of the incident that provides more context for what happened before Punk knocked the phone away. The footage shows that Bayley and AJ Lee, Punk’s wife, had multiple fans filming them in the lobby before the confrontation. The two women then moved toward an elevator bank in an apparent attempt to find privacy, but the fan in question followed them.
In the footage, the fan can be heard saying “We love you, Bayley” before Bayley responded by raising her hand to block his phone and telling him to get out of the area. Punk then knocked the phone from his hand.
Punk has been vocal in the past about fans who approach wrestlers at hotels and airports. Security during WrestleMania weekend was widely reported as insufficient, with PWInsider noting as early as Thursday that talent had raised concerns about the lack of additional measures at the hotel and that fans had been mobbing wrestlers in common areas throughout the weekend.
Punk appeared on Raw the night after WrestleMania 42 and teased an upcoming match against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
— just put the clips in the bag (@ShootOrWork) April 21, 2026
