Stevie Richards has weighed in on the online debate over CM Punk’s improved physique and the steroid speculation that has come with it, declining to accuse Punk of anything while stressing that no one outside of Punk and any medical professionals would actually know. Richards discussed the topic on the latest episode of The Stevie Richards Show with co-host James Romero.
The conversation followed fan footage of Punk looking noticeably more muscular during his time away from WWE television. Punk dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 and has been off WWE programming since due to a reported schedule change.
Richards said his first reaction to the viral photo was disbelief. He thought the image looked filtered or AI-generated, and joked that it made him reconsider his own frame. He stopped short of any accusation, framing it as Punk’s prerogative. “Everybody has a choice: live the life you want to live,” Richards said, echoing a point made by Ryback, who publicly defended Punk.
In a post on X, Ryback pushed back on the steroid rumors, writing that the reality is that nobody knows except Punk and any medical professionals involved. Ryback said he did not see something that “screams steroid abuse,” attributing the change to heavier training, better nutrition, recovery, sleep, and consistency, and said that even if testosterone or hormone replacement therapy were involved, people should not be shamed for medically restoring their levels. Ryback, who has been through WWE’s Wellness Program, said he does not believe Punk is abusing steroids.
On the other side, Richards and Romero referenced a post from Ryan Nemeth, who appeared to take a shot at Punk. Without naming him, Nemeth sarcastically mocked straight-edge wrestlers who insist nothing goes in their bodies “except PEDs,” a remark widely read as aimed at Punk. The two have a contentious history dating to Nemeth’s time in AEW and a lawsuit that was moved to private arbitration.
Richards used the discussion to make a broader point about how wrestlers field steroid questions, noting that performers are often asked only about steroids and never about human growth hormone, which historically was far more expensive to test for. He said the angry, offended response some wrestlers give to the steroid question can itself raise eyebrows.
He also spoke candidly about having once considered testosterone replacement therapy himself, saying his level was on the lower side, but that he ultimately did not pursue it, in part because of his fear of needles and his understanding that the body adjusts to what it is given. He drew a distinction between medically supervised hormone treatment and heavier use, and noted that wrestling and film are esthetic businesses where the pressure is different than in competitive sports.
“I generally care about his health,” Richards said of Punk, adding that the long-term effects of various substances are still not fully understood. Romero summed up the segment’s recurring theme, saying the honest answer is that no one knows, “and if he is doing something, who cares?”
