"The Second City Saint" became the figurehead of "hell freezes over" after "The Voice of the Voiceless" CM Punk made his jaw-dropping return to WWE nearly a decade after walking out of the company. What was supposed to be his moment in the sun in 2024 erupted into a devastating black cloud of anguish when, in last year's Royal Rumble, Punk tore his tricep and had to sit on the sidelines for six months, missing out on potentially adding another jewel to his crown at WrestleMania 40. Comparing his loss to that of a losing team in the Stanley Cup Finals, Punk spoke with WWE correspondent Jackie Redmond about that major upset and how he plans to change his luck at this year's Rumble.

"The biggest fight was with myself," Punk stated when describing his defeat at Royal Rumble 2024. "I was fighting heartbreak to not just get out of the ring, walk to the back, to not just go, 'Okay, all right, I guess this is it.'" Regarding the hurdles he's overcome, Punk admits that his tricep tear still haunts him today. While he tries to conquer his fear in every match, his wife and three-time Divas Champion AJ Lee remains his motivator, reminding him that his redemption tour could begin on Saturday. 

"I think the last hurdle, so to speak, is this year, this Rumble that's coming up. But for the short term, I gave myself a good eight-minute cry before I called my wife and told her, 'Hey, I got hurt,'" Punk revealed. "[She said] 'Just come home. I'll take care of you. We'll get over it. We'll get through it.'"