On a recent episode of his podcast, “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy,” TNA veteran Matt Hardy discussed the recent controversy involving CM Punk’s apology to fans in Saudi Arabia for his past criticisms. Here are a few highlight from the discussion:
When asked about the situation, Hardy shared his views about Punk, stating: “Punk has frequently expressed his opinions about things he doesn’t support or agree with. And his decision to go to Saudi Arabia left numerous people feeling letdown. I believe if he hadn’t established himself in AEW first, it’s doubtful he would have returned to WWE. I firmly believe that at WWE, Punk is appreciative of the opportunity he has and is aware he doesn’t have the same freedoms as he did in AEW. He needs to respect the rules and, like a good employee, follow the company’s guidelines. I believe he was willing to do this, and he accepted it. And when they requested him to compete with John Cena and do SmackDown in Saudi Arabia, he just complied.”
Regarding whether CM Punk’s actions were deemed hypocritical, Hardy opined, “It’s a complex issue. Being an employee, he has responsibilities. With him being one of WWE’s premier performers, they needed him to fulfil these commitments which saw him traveling to Saudi Arabia. It becomes a bit of a predicament when you’re trying to be an advocate for the company even when it comes to tasks that you’re reluctant to do. You have to understand that you’re going to take some criticism. You no longer stand on a moral high ground when you find yourself in a place that’s not associated with such moral principles.”
The episode with the full discussion can be found in the embedded YouTube video.