Highlights

• Seth Rollins explains his reaction to CM Punk's WWE return, citing Punk's years of talking down about him and the company.
• Rollins feels insulted by the way Punk treated him, his colleagues, and the company, and is not happy with recent comments and actions.
• Despite their beef, Rollins is open to mending fences and working with Punk if the opportunity arises, as he is a businessman who is willing to make things work.

Seth Rollins spoke with Sports Illustrated this week and explained his now-viral reaction to the CM Punk WWE return at Survivor Series. While it's not known yet if his hatred for Punk is a work or a shoot, Rollins explained that he wishes he would have acted a little differently, but there's a pretty good reason he wasn't all that thrilled to see Punk walk out from behind the curtain.

Trying to explain his reaction for fans who saw the videos going viral on social media, he noted during the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina:

"[CM Punk] said some really bad things about me. Talked down about me for years and the company for years. I'm talking some really bad stuff. Called me a bootlicker and crap like that."

Saying Punk has been selfish for a long time, he didn't want to take anything away from what Punk did for Rollins when the two were working their way up the ladder. But, he believe Punk changed. So too, the recent stuff Punk has said and done doesn't sit well. He added, "You don't know me. You don't know what I stand for. I'm a loyal person and I felt pretty insulted by a lot of the ways he treated me, treated the place I work for, treated friends that I worked with. I don't need to get into any of the stuff with Colt Cabana if you want to look at that kind of stuff, that's out there. Just the way he treated people."

Will Rollins Work With CM Punk In WWE?

When asked if his beef with Punk would stop him from working with the former AEW star, Rollins responded, "No one is forcing something on you, but I'm a businessman, for sure, I'm hoping to do business, if it's there to be done."

Related

CM Punk's Heated History With Seth Rollins, Explained

Seth Rollins wasn't happy to see CM Punk at Survivor Series, but WWE's World Heavyweight Champion and Punk have verbally sparred many times.

He noted that he is ppen to mending fences and open-minded when it comes to finding a way to work with pretty much everyone. He said, "I'm almost 38, and I ain't got time to hold all these grudges. I think it's a lot of energy to hold that negativity in, and I'd like to put that energy somewhere else and make it positive. I'm open to all different facets of what this could be."

Rollins notes, "He says he's the best in the world, that ain't the case, I'm the best in the world. I'll make anything work, no matter who it is."