Big E has remembered the role CM Punk played in keeping his job in WWE in his early years in the promotion.
The former WWE Champion spoke to Chris Van Vliet on “Insight” about his first few years in WWE, and a period where he didn’t have much to do on television, which left him worried about his job.
“Punk is also someone who saved my career. Back in 2014, before I got my first IC title run, either 2013 or 2014, I was floundering,” he recalled. “[At the time] There were a few talent, a handful of talent, who only went to SmackDown, and they were only working either Superstars or Main Event, but they weren’t really a factor. So, right before Punk asked to work with me, I was off every single week. I was done with AJ at the time, being her bodyguard, and I would check the lineup every week. I wasn’t doing anything at all, and I was starting to get worried about my position here.”
Punk had, behind the scenes, advocated for him and chose Big E to face him on a “SmackDown.” But the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion never acknowledged his role in ensuring Big E had another match in WWE. Punk reportedly later told him that talented wrestlers like him deserved a chance.
“I was just booked for SmackDown, and I knew what that meant. I knew the guys who were SmackDown-only. It meant, ‘Hey, we got nothing for you, and essentially we’re going to get you out of here pretty soon, either back down to developmental or out of here altogether.’ And I thought, ‘Man, this is not good.’ But that same day was the day I found out from AJ Lee that Punk [did it] [but] he never told me,” the retired star added. “When I went up to him later and thanked him, all he said was something like, ‘Talented people deserve an opportunity.’ And that meant a lot, man.”
Big E said he wasn’t friends with Punk at the time, which made him even more grateful for what Punk did.
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