Bully Ray Reviews CM Punk's 'Crock Of S***' WWE SmackDown Promo
CM Punk called out a bunch of WWE's top stars during his return to "WWE SmackDown" last week, warning the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and LA Knight that he had unfinished business to attend to in WWE, starting with his goal to main-event the upcoming WrestleMania 40. During his promo, Punk even acknowledged "The Tribal Chief" before reminding him of who the "OG Paul Heyman guy" was.
While the segment was widely praised by fans, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray did not enjoy it whatsoever, something he made clear on Monday's "Busted Open" podcast.
The main issue Ray had with the promo was Punk trying to egg on the crowd to help him decide between signing with the red or blue brand. "Punk made me believe, by the way he manipulated the crowd, that 'Raw' and 'SmackDown' were two different entitles — at least for that moment," Ray said. "There were people like, 'No we don't want you on Raw,' as if we're to believe that that crowd doesn't watch 'Raw.' Of course, they do, but they're cheering for 'SmackDown' as if they don't have access to 'Raw' in their local TV stations."
Ray proceeded to argue that "brand loyalty" hasn't truly existed in WWE since the early years of the WWE Draft, which is why he felt Punk's promo came across as disingenuous.
'When CM Punk says home, it doesn't come across as genuine'
Bully Ray also took serious issue with CM Punk continuing to refer to WWE as "home," reiterating that he wasn't buying the merry and cheerful version of Punk. "Stop! Because when CM Punk says, 'I'm home,' it sounds like a crock of s**t to me," Ray stressed. "You can't call someplace home that you've gone on record to say caused you mental and physical harm, so I would much rather see Punk talk about being back in WWE rather than home. When CM Punk says home, it doesn't come across as genuine to me."
There was another part of Punk's "SmackDown" promo that did not resonate with Ray. It was the portion where Punk seemingly referenced his AEW backstage brawl with The Elite, stating that he wouldn't be comfortable "working with someone who just punches people in the face backstage" while talking about Kevin Owens' recent antics. Ray feels the crowd in Providence, Rhode Island did not grasp the reference, which is why they reacted in silence. ´
"Zero reaction to that line," Ray said. "And when I say zero reaction, only a small portion, the internet [fans], and AEW's faithful fans ... that line hit to the people it needed to hit, but in the live audience, it was as if AEW never even existed. They don't even know about the company. I think the line was so vague that it was only meant for a couple of people to understand."
On last night's "WWE Raw," Punk continued to refer to WWE as "home" and evoked the wrath of Seth Rollins for doing so. The segment seemed to set up the inevitable match between the two stars, possibly at WrestleMania 40. During his promo, Punk also announced his decision to sign with the red brand and declared his entry into the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match.