Miz says Punk apologized backstage on 2023 Raw in Chicago, happier

The Miz said he was surprised when fellow wrestler CM Punk approached him and apologized backstage at a 2023 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in Chicago, and he described Punk as a noticeably different, happier presence than the man he remembered from their earlier days. The admission came during an interview on the Unlikely podcast with Adrian Hernandez in which The Miz recounted the encounter and reflected on the pair's long shared history.

Miz said he did not know what to expect when Punk walked up to him in April 2023. "I remember coming down the stairs and seeing him and being like, Hey. I didn't know what to expect," he told the podcast. He said the apology followed a period of intense public conflict, including a past, profanity-laced online attack by Punk aimed at Miz over his appearances at WWE events in Saudi Arabia, which Punk later deleted. Reports vary on exactly when that remark was made.

The Miz and Punk go back to the developmental days in Ohio Valley Wrestling and toured together early in their careers. "We used to drive together. We'd always be in a van, it'd be five of us," Miz said, recalling life on the road before smartphones and the close-knit nature of...