Zayn Admits CM Punk Is Not Overrated Despite Calling Him a ‘Phony’

Following his second WWE Undisputed Championship victory last Friday on Friday Night SmackDown, current titleholder Sami Zayn appeared on Busted Open Radio to discuss his recent title win and his rivalry with former champion CM Punk. Zayn stated that while he considers Punk a “phony,” he does not believe the wrestler is overrated.

Regarding CM Punk, Zayn told Fightful, “Phony? Yeah. Overrated? I have to be honest, I never stepped into the ring with him until earlier this year, and I can’t take anything away from him. He is incredible in the ring. He actually opened my eyes because for a long time, the hype surrounding Punk—you could say the same about me, ‘I don’t get this guy.'”

Zayn continued, “There were times when Punk reached those levels, and I was like, ‘I don’t understand how he achieved this. Clearly, there is something about him, but I didn’t always buy into the hype. I truly didn’t. After competing against him three or four times this year, I can’t take anything away from him. Trust me, I would love to. I would love to sit here and criticize him for the next 10 to 15 minutes, but in the ring, I simply can’t deny his excellence.”

Punk’s most recent championship reign lasted 64 days. He had previously defeated Zayn to recapture the title in July at Monday Night Raw in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.

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