8 Things We Learned From CM Punk On Stephanie McMahon's WWE Show

8. Punk Described Sitting With Steph As “Cathartic”

Ask any hardcore fan to name a pair of WWE stars who are friends in real life and this duo wouldn't spring to mind. Nobody would imagine that CM Punk and Stephanie McMahon have much to talk about behind the scenes, but this debut episode reveals that they were closer than some might think during Punk's first stint in the company between 2006-2014.

Opening up, Steph said she wasn’t sure if it was her place to say this anymore, but wanted to welcome Punk “home”. Retorting, the man himself said it “absolutely is” her place, thanked McMahon, and said the whole experience of reconnecting is cathartic for him. Yep, some watching might be taken aback by the immediate emotion between them that's on display here.

It was an unexpected treat.

There are several visibly moments during which both catch themselves and stop the tears before they start flowing. Stephanie, in particular, seems to be caught between her old management role and one of a well-meaning fangirl who just likes to see everybody happy. Given everything that's been going on with her family away from the cameras over the past couple of years, it's nice to see her with a smile on her face.

"Cathartic" is a great word to sum up Punk's WWE comeback. He's older, wiser, has proved those who thought he was finished wrong, and doesn't have time for the same sort of baggage that weighed him down first time around or blighted his AEW run afterwards. Those waiting on everything to blow up and go wrong could be waiting a while - this is a different Punk, which is something Steph seems fascinated by.