CM Punk Says He's 'Mentally Strong And Physically 100%' Ahead Of WWE SummerSlam Match

In a matter of days, the long-standing feud between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will culminate in a singles match at WWE's second biggest premium live event of the year — SummerSlam — with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee. For McIntyre, this marks an opportunity to avenge his recent string of losses at the hands of Punk. For Punk, SummerSlam will serve as the stage for his first in-ring performance since the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble, when he sustained a torn triceps. During a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Punk addressed his physical and mental states heading into the respective PLE.

"Mentally, strong," Punks said. "Physically, 100%, or at least as 100% as I get at my current stage of my career. I feel good. I'm anxious, and I'm ready to lace up my boots."

As many fans have pointed out across social media, SummerSlam will also mark Punk's first televised singles match under the WWE banner since January 2014, when he defeated one-half of The New Age Outlaws, Billy Gunn, on "WWE Raw." "As far as televised, meat-on-the-bone kind of matches, it's crazy that it's been 10 years," Punk said. "It's wild, but I think that's what makes it exciting. I think that's what makes it a special moment. I think that's why a lot of people are going to tune in to watch SummerSlam."

Since returning to WWE at the 2023 Survivor Series event, Punk has wrestled on three occasions, including the aforementioned 2024 Men's Royal Rumble. There, Punk entered the field at the 27 position, securing two eliminations in his outing. Eventually, Punk himself was eliminated by the Royal Rumble winner, Cody Rhodes, in an intense final-two faceoff. A month before that, Punk locked up with, and later defeated, The Judgment Day's Dominik Mysterio at a pair of WWE live events in New York City, New York and Inglewood, California.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Denise Salcedo with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.