Mickie James Discusses Friendship With WWE's CM Punk, Explains He's 'Misunderstood'

CM Punk stunned fans by showing up at the conclusion of WWE Survivor Series: WarGames. In the aftermath of Punk's first appearance for WWE in nearly a decade, former WWE Women's Champion Mickie James opened up about her friendship with the Chicago-born star. "I have a different relationship with Punk because I've known him so long," James said on "Busted Open Radio." "Like, I knew him in Ring of Honor when we were in Ring of Honor together. I knew him when we came to TNA together at first, and we were in The Gathering with Raven and all of that stuff. And then fast forward, we're in OVW, and then here he comes to OVW, and then our debuts on television. We debuted together on "Sunday Night Heat."

"I've known Phil Brooks for a very, very long time, so I have a lot of love for him. I feel like we've all kind of, at this point, we've all grown up in the business. Maybe I have a different understanding of where he's coming from sometimes. I think he comes off with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder to a lot of people, but it's also he demands the best of himself."

When asked if she thought Punk was "misunderstood," James agreed. The current free agent explained that Punk "doesn't play that game of telling people what they want to hear," and that the former WWE Champion speaks his mind and tells it how it is. After his sensational comeback at Survivor Series, Punk returned to "WWE Raw" last night in Nashville, Tennesse, for the first time since January 2014, and mentioned that he was back in the promotion to make money, not friends.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.