Corey Graves says issues with CM Punk are ‘water under the bridge’
Corey Graves addressed his friendship with CM Punk during a recent interview.
Speaking with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Graves said that when Punk returned to WWE, the two apologized to each other and “let it be water under the bridge.”
Asked about Punk heading into WrestleMania as champion, Graves said:
“It really is wild. Life in this business is so unusual. Everyone has a different story, but to have someone who I bond with so deeply when I was trying to get ahead of the business. He was always a step or two ahead of where I was. I looked up to him for that. I sort of tried to follow in his footsteps. I patterned myself after him, right, wrong, or indifferent. I’m sure I learned a few bad habits along the way, but he was sort of my wrestling big brother. That’s how I looked at it. Then life happens.”
“There are the well-documented issues he had with WWE. He and I fell off for a while, but when he came back, I made it a point to talk to him. It’s one of those things where I believe time heals all wounds or at least most wounds.”
“We had a heart-to-heart. Both of us apologized for a couple of different things and let it be water under the bridge. Since then, we’ve continued to grow close again.”
“He is one of my favorites to this day, despite the fact he is my friend. As a talent, I’ve always been a fan of CM Punk.”
In 2024, during an interview with Ariel Helwani, Punk said he stopped talking to people associated with WWE due to his legal battle with WWE doctor Chris Amann over comments he made on Colt Cabana’s podcast in 2014.
According to Cagematch, Punk and Graves wrestled three times from 2002 to 2004 on International Wrestling Cartel shows in Pennsylvania, with Graves, then wrestling as Sterling James Keenan, holding a 3-0 record over Punk. Graves’ full interview with TV Insider is available here.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.