CM Punk And Seth Rollins Intensify Rivalry Ahead Of Netflix Premiere

The WWE was ready to make its Netflix debut amid one of those long-simmered feuds that had grown over time between two of the superstars: CM Punk and Seth Rollins. For years, there had been tension both on-screen and behind the scenes between the two wrestling icons. This eventually culminated in a main event takedown between the two men as Raw made its Netflix premiere—a moment so personal it was one for the books in regards to this company delving into new territory.

A Rivalry in the Making for Years

The bad blood between Punk and Rollins traces a decade back to some kind of root, buried deep within their careers when the latter diverged. Both men rose through the independent ranks into WWE, with both taking very different trajectories in their respective careers.

By the early 2010s, Punk was one of the biggest stars in WWE, having won a slew of world championships and cutting his famous “pipe bomb” promo, which blurred the lines between reality and storyline. Growing frustrations with the company led to his acrimonious departure in 2014. Punk walked away from wrestling entirely, moving on to pursue other ventures such as MMA and comic book writing.

Meanwhile, Rollins remained loyal to WWE, becoming one of its top stars and standard-bearers. He won world titles, headlined the biggest shows, and positioned himself as the face of the future. It was important for him to say he carried the company on his back when Punk wasn’t there.

That stark contrast in choices set the ground for intense animosity. To Rollins, Punk was a quitter who abandoned WWE, while to Punk, Rollins was a corporate sellout. It was an ideological powder keg waiting to go off.

The Shocking Return

That explosion finally came at Survivor Series 2023 as the shocking return of CM Punk to WWE in nearly a decade. The cameras captured Rollins’ raw anger at ringside: He had to be physically restrained from getting at Punk and launched into an impassioned torrent of expletives that had to be censored on the broadcast.

In subsequent interviews, Rollins explained that the visceral reaction came from a place of disrespect because he wasn’t in on the fact that Punk was coming back ahead of time. He said it’s Punk making it all about himself yet again at the expense of others.

“You know what bothered me wasn’t that Randy just came back off of a long hiatus and that was, you know—that was his moment,” Rollins says. “It was a great moment. The reaction for him when he came through the curtain was unreal. We went out there; there were 10 of us out there, and we went out there and had a hell of a contest. [We] just didn’t really need him, but you know, it was Chicago; it’s his city; it’s just the most classic CM Punk moment I’ve ever seen.”

Tensions Mount

Over the next few weeks, Punk and Rollins traded in a little heated verbal discourse that crossed multiple boundaries of kayfabe and reality. Rollins called Punk selfish for not showing his face to the WWE Universe for several months while “the money was right.” He came out claiming himself as the only one who kept WWE relevant in his back on which Punk bailed many times.

In return, Punk irately retorted by berating Rollins’ persona first and, eventually, challenged the wrestling capabilities of the same opponent. Basically, he painted Rollins out to be this insecure little corporate stooge whose existence or survival is threatened with a guy of punk’s popularity and stardom in the spotlight.

Things came to a head when the two had a wild fight through the crowd during an episode of Raw; security and officials had to pry them apart as they traded punches and insults 6.

The Netflix Debut Looms

Knowing that it was going to make history with its move to Netflix in January 2025, WWE needed a marquee match to headline the premiere. There wasn’t a hotter feud than Punk vs. Rollins, years of real animosity fueling fan interest.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque touted the Netflix debut as big as WrestleMania. The company pulled out all the stops, booking appearances from legends like John Cena, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan.

But the headlining attraction belonged to Punk and Rollins. In the lead-up to the show, the two kept exchanging heated promos. Rollins said Punk was trying to claim credit for what had happened in his absence in the WWE. Punk retaliated by calling Rollins a “bootlicker” beholden to WWE management.

With it being such a personal rivalry, people speculated into an unscripted moment or a shoot fight between them once they did finally lock up. Both men made it clear this was more than just another wrestling match: it was an opportunity to prove who was truly “The Best in the World.”

The Historic Clash

By the time January 6, 2025, actually arrived, anticipation for Punk vs. Rollins was at a fever pitch. The Intuit Dome in Los Angeles was packed with over 17,000 fans ready to witness history.

The bell rang, and one thing was certain—this was not going to be an ordinary match. Straight out of the box, Punk and Rollins immediately went to the outside, where the crowd could take in most of the brawl. One particularly poignant point occurred when Rollins yelled to the referee to “let it ride,” don’t stop it—a sign he really just wanted to hurt somebody.

These two fought each other tooth and nail in a hard-hitting affair. Each man broke out moves from his opponent’s playbook, with Rollins hitting Punk with his own Go To Sleep finisher at one point. Not to be outdone, Punk later nailed Rollins with a Pedigree on the announce table.

After nearly 30 minutes of action, the climax came when Punk hit Rollins with back-to-back Go To Sleep finishers to secure the pinfall victory. The crowd erupted as Punk stood tall, having vanquished his longtime rival on WWE’s biggest stage in years.

Aftermath and Future Consequences

While Punk came out on top in their Netflix fight, it is pretty obvious that the feud between these two is far from over. In post-match comments, Punk seemed to hint he and Rollins were likely not done with each other.

“I’d love to say that was the one and only time I had to deal with Seth Rollins, but we know that’s not going to be the truth,” Punk said. “I feel like Drew McIntyre was a challenge just trying to get rid of him. I don’t see Seth just rolling over and giving up, so to speak.”

Indeed, their Netflix showdown seemed to have done little to simmer down the bad blood. Rollins was furious following the defeat and was sporting a nasty black eye in social media posts in the days after 17. Meanwhile, Punk wasted little time setting his sights on even loftier goals, as he declared his intention to enter the Royal Rumble and pursue a world championship.

With WrestleMania season looming, a number of fans and analysts alike feel that Punk and Rollins will cross paths once more on the Road to WrestleMania. Their deeply personal feud provides a compelling backdrop for a high-stakes rematch on WWE’s grandest stage.

A New Era Begins

But beyond all in-ring thrills, Punk vs. Rollins also presented a watershed moment for WWE entering the world of streaming. Their headliner fueled a historic premiere of Monday Night Raw on Netflix as 4.9 million viewers worldwide tuned in.

This event more than doubled Raw’s average 2024 audience and truly was a success of this new platform. Social media discussion was dominated as the #1 trending topic on X in several countries immediately when the event began.

For Netflix, the exclusive rights to WWE’s flagship show were a major coup in the ongoing streaming wars. A 10-year deal reportedly worth $5 billion, it gives Netflix a consistent source of live sports-style entertainment to compete with rival platforms.

Looking Ahead

With WWE getting comfortable in its new Netflix digs, the Punk-Rollins feud is already shaping up to be one of its hottest storylines for some time to come; with their clashing philosophies and real, visceral dislike for each other, rich story potential is in store for many months ahead.

Of course, the underlying issue still remains if they can stay professional and safe due to personal issues between the two. According to wrestling legend Bully Ray, sources close to him claim that there is “very, very real animosity” between Punk and Rollins behind closed doors.

“The word that I got from a very, very, very trusted friend and confidant within the WWE was that these two guys, although maintaining utmost levels of professionalism, do not like each other to this day,” Ray said. “Seth Rollins does not like CM Punk at all, and Punk can’t stand what Rollins has turned into. There is very, very real animosity.”

That tension will lead to great television, but also a very high level of risk when the emotions boil over. WWE will have to tread very carefully in this rivalry if they want to maximize the most possible storytelling out of it while keeping the talents safe.

For now, it’s on to the next chapter of this deeply personal feud for fans. It’s crystal clear—whether by ally, enemy, or uneasy coworker—that CM Punk and Seth Rollins will forever be linked as WWE plunges into its new era. The Netflix clash was just the latest, certainly not the last, battle in a war years in the making.