In case you haven't heard, Seth Rollins' least favorite man in the WWE Universe, CM Punk, is a big, big, big believer in respect.

When it comes to legends of the sport, be that Bret Hart or even his new best friend Shawn Michaels, Punk is eager to celebrate their accomplishments, sharing the ring if afforded an opportunity and even wearing commemorative gear as a shoutout to the Hall of Famers who came before him.

But if a younger performer doesn't give the same love to the “Second City Saint,” someone like, say, “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry, for example, well, it can cause a big enough stir that it grows into a situation so hostile it leads to one performer being indefinitely suspended and fired from the company outright.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant during the first week of 2024? Well, because Punk mentioned that, in his opinion, Rollins really hasn't been giving him the same level of respect that he feels owed, with the “Best in the World” noting that, in his opinion, the “Visionary” might not at the same place in his career if he hadn't pave the road that got him there.

“I viewed Seth as somebody who was following my footsteps. I think there are a lot of people who are in WWE now who, for better or for worse, looked up to a guy like me. I always like to thank the legends that helped paved the way for the roads that I travel now,” CM Punk noted on the WWE Preview Show via Fightful. “Guys like Terry Funk, Eddie Guerrero, Bret Hart, Tracy Smothers, Chris Candido. There are a litany of guys that I always feel, I wouldn't have gotten the opportunities that I got if it weren't for them. I guess I'm in a position where, it feels maybe strange, me vocalizing it, but Seth is a guy, at least I definitely thought it ten years ago. He's a dude that I don't think would have gotten the opportunities that he's gotten if it wasn't for me. That might hurt some people's feelings, but facts are facts, they don't care about your feelings.”

Asked about how Rollins feels about him, Punk admitted he didn't really care; all that's on his mind right now is winning the Royal Rumble and maybe getting some World Heavyweight gold around his waist.

“What Seth honestly feels about me is none of my business, that's how I approach it,” Punk said. “Maybe he's jealous, maybe he's envious, it's not for me to decide and figure out. Luckily, there is a ring. A lot of times, when you have differences with somebody, you get to settle it in the ring. The Rumble is in my immediate future. If Seth is still the champion when the dust clears, maybe we can talk about it then and settle it in the ring.”

Alright, so what can fans learn from this interaction? Well, for one thing, CM Punk believes that he's a legend of professional wrestling, which he admittedly is, but still stands an example of the sort of blowhard-ry that often rubs folks the wrong way, even when it comes from someone nicknamed the “Best in the World.” Fortunately, Punk has the in-ring ability to back it up, which is good news, because he's going to need it against a certified workhorse like Rollins.

CM Punk reveals just how quickly his WWE return came together.

Elsewhere, in his appearance on the WWE Preview Show, CM Punk was asked about his return to the promotion after nearly a decade away and how he was able to keep the secret so tightly under wraps.

While Punk did tell his friends and family about his return before coming out at the end of Survivor Series, some of those calls came on his way to the arena.

“Everything happened that day so fast. You should never text and drive, ladies and gentlemen. I was trying to drive to the Allstate Arena and let everybody that deserved to know that was in my orbit know what was about to happen,” CM Punk shared via Fightful. “I'm texting my sisters. Nobody knew. That's how you get things done in this business. You keep things close to the vest. You don't leak stuff. That's when the magic happens. It was a magical moment. There were so many things going through my head. The nerves, people I hadn't seen in ten years. I had questions, concerns, maybe even worries. It was all solved the instant the song hit, and I walked out in front of my hometown. I couldn't hear the song anymore. I didn't know my cues. All of it went out the window, I couldn't hear the song, I could only hear the people. It was a magical moment.”

You know, you have to give it to WWE, the return of CM Punk was just about the best surprise debut you will ever see on televised wrestling, with the opening bars of “Cult of Personality” ringing out after the “All Rights Reserved” label flashed across the screen. While the debut still would have been cool if it was expected, Triple H did an absolutely bang-up job in executing the return of the “Best in the World,” and he deserves a ton of credit for that.