CM Punk Reveals Why WWE Is Much Better Now That Vince McMahon Is Gone

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WWE superstar CM Punk returned to the company after a 10-year absence just over a year ago, and he returned to a drastically different landscape. When Punk left, under a cloud, WWE was ruled with an iron fist by Vince McMahon. Now, Punk has opened up about the dramatic shift in WWE’s creative landscape since McMahon's departure. The Voice of the Voiceless drew a clear line between the autocratic era under McMahon and the more collaborative environment ushered in by Triple H, arguing that this change has made the company a better place for creative minds, speaking on The Pat McAfee Show ahead of this weekend's Royal Rumble.

Punk recalled his experiences under McMahon’s reign, describing McMahon’s management style as a strict top-down approach. “I think he’s receptive to other people’s ideas, whereas maybe Vince wasn’t. He was like, ‘I’m the boss. We’re doing this, and this is how we’re doing it,’” Punk explained. While he acknowledged that any organization needs someone with the final say, he contended that McMahon’s methods left little room for creative input, and that his methods actually stifled any creativity when things got stale.

CM Punk Says Triple H's Approach is Working

In stark contrast, Punk praised Triple H for his willingness to listen and adapt, which does have a certain irony given the well documented animosity between the pair when Punk left the company. Indeed, Punk's release papers were allegedly sent to him on his wedding day. But time heals all wounds, and for Punk, the company is now in the right hands.

“Triple H thinks he’s surrounded, and oftentimes is, by a lot of really, really genius wrestling minds. If he has an idea or sees something one way, he’ll look at Michael Hayes and be like, ‘What do you think?’ He’ll turn and look at Paul Heyman,” Punk noted.

Despite his praise for the current leadership, Punk was quick to sidestep any in-depth discussion of the backstage dynamics. “I don’t like talking publicly about the backstage vibes because it comes across as BS,” he admitted.

WWE is clearly embracing a new era where everyone has a say, and the clear collaboration between all parties is evidently making the product better for the fans and the wrestlers too, which is a huge factor in why the product is so hot now.

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