CM Punk Reacts to Grayson Waller's Explosive NXT Return Promo

Posted By: Ben Kerin on Jul 29, 2026

Grayson Waller made his long awaited return to WWE NXT on the July 28 edition of the show, ending months away from television with a promo that immediately sparked controversy.

Following his absence from WWE programming after The New Day was written off television when Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods departed the company, Waller had remained active at live events for both WWE and NXT. His official return saw him waste little time making headlines.

Opening the show, Waller delivered a worked shoot style promo in which he vented frustrations over his WWE career while taking aim at several familiar names. Austin Theory, The New Day, and new NXT arrival Cruz Montana, formerly known as Mike Santana, all found themselves in Waller's firing line.

The outspoken promo did not sit well with WWE management within the storyline, as officials interrupted him by cutting off his microphone and taking the broadcast away from him before he could continue.

CM Punk also appeared unimpressed with Waller's remarks. Sharing a clip of the segment on his Instagram Stories, Punk captioned it:

"Frustration distilled and funneled into a bullet aimed at the competition."

At this stage, WWE has not confirmed what direction Waller's return to NXT will take creatively.

One of the most talked about moments from Waller's promo came when he mocked TNA Wrestling while discussing Cruz Montana's arrival in NXT.

"It ain't 2005, lad. Being the top guy in TNA is like being the best basketball player at the local YMCA. I'm not impressed."

Following the show, Waller acknowledged his return with a simple message on social media:

"I'm back."