'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Praises CM Punk: 'I Love That Guy'

CM Punk might not be the most popular guy on the AEW roster at the moment, but he has a friend in "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. "The Rattlesnake" recently talked to Forbes about Punk and their relationship, and he praised the former AEW World Champion for creating his own path in the wrestling industry.

"Me and Phil trade messages every here and there. We rarely talk, probably once or twice a year. I love the guy, and I don't even know if I mentored him because Punk's probably a lot smarter than I am."

Austin went on to praise Punk's wrestling and promo abilities, acknowledging that he may have inspired the AEW star back in the day. At the same time, Austin believes that Punk deserves all of the credit for turning himself into a household name. "Maybe he looked up to me back in the day, but I don't know if I so much mentored him because I think he paid his own dues. He learned it the way he did and he got over on his own merits. The fact that maybe I could have been somewhat of an influence would be flattering if that were the case. But he's made his own career."

That being said, Austin doesn't have an opinion on the controversies surrounding Punk in the wake of AEW's "Brawl Out" situation. He said that he barely watches the product, so he isn't up to date with the latest news. In fact, Austin didn't even know that Punk suffered a torn triceps injury until recently.