CM Punk has offered a new look at how WWE operates today, reflecting on how the company’s revamped pay system has reshaped both the business and the mentality of the locker room. Speaking on the Mostly Sports with Mark Titus and Brandon Walker podcast, the World Heavyweight Champion walked through the shift from incentive-driven earnings to guaranteed salaries, a structure he believes has changed the entire feel of the job.

Punk explained that his latest run has taken place in an environment that feels far removed from his previous years in the company. “The business has radically changed. It was a different place when I signed than when I debuted and then when I came back. Like, it is such a radically different place,” Punk said.

He pointed to how the value of holding a championship has evolved. In the past, the title spot meant headlining events and receiving a higher cut of the night’s revenue. That formula no longer applies. “The thing with the title too is also it means you made more money. That does not exist anymore,” Punk stated. Although he acknowledged that talent across the board is earning more, he views the situation as a mix of positives and drawbacks. “It is good and bad. Like, we all make more money now, which is thumbs up.”

Punk then shifted to how motivation inside the company has been affected. He described how his own hunger for bigger moments was directly tied to the number of tickets sold. “My paycheck was always predicated on how many people were in the building, so I was driven towards ticket sales and the business of it. And when you are in the main events, you got paid more money,” he said.

According to Punk, today’s guaranteed structure has flattened the incentive to push for top billing. “Now everyone is just kind of on salary. I think that is good and bad. It is good for the boys. But also I feel there is not the same ambition, you know? I always wanted to be in the main event because it got me more money. Now I do not care if I am the opening match, because I am still going to make the same. I can shower and watch the show now.”