CM Punk’s recent appearance at WWE’s Night of Champions Premium Live Event marked a notable shift in his public stance toward Saudi Arabia. Days before the event, Punk issued a formal apology for a controversial 2020 comment in which he criticized WWE’s Saudi partnership in explicit terms. His apology was acknowledged by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who later praised Punk’s growth, saying he was “incredibly proud” of the star for addressing the matter and respecting Saudi fans.

Now, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has weighed in on the backlash Punk received from fans, some of whom have called him a hypocrite for choosing to wrestle in Saudi Arabia after his earlier remarks.

“It’s overthought…Overthought, and I know that Punk’s heart is in the right place. He’s controversial, that’s why he’s so fun to follow. Phil’s a good friend of mine. I am a full-on supporter of his work, I really am; I still wish he was at AEW, quite frankly. He adds a lot to any presentation that he’s involved in. So, I think we’re overthinking it a little bit quite honestly.”