Powerhouse Hobbs reflects on his match in Arthur Ashe Stadium with CM Punk.
Powerhouse Hobbs was one of CM Punk’s first opponents after his seven-year hiatus from wrestling. For Powerhouse Hobbs, that match meant a lot as well. Taking place shortly after his mother passed away, Hobbs recalled CM Punk being very kind to him ahead of that match.
Hobbs also says, on Josh Martinez's Superstar Crossover that CM Punk is one top superstar that always watches his matches back with him.
"I will say this about him, he may get mad. But Punk is one of those dudes. After every match that I have that airs, he always sits down and watches it with me. So we sit down together and we break down stuff. So he may get mad, but I told the whole world, Punk, so you're that dude. But that match in Arthur Ashe, New York City, for 20,000+ people, it was crazy. That whole night had a special meaning to me and Punk knew that because it was about a month since my mom passed away. So, my emotions and everything were everywhere. Right before the match got announced, or the day the match got announced, you know, he pulled me aside and said, 'This is gonna be for her. Don't worry about anything else. Nobody else. It's just you, me, and her.' That I will forever be grateful for," said Hobbs.
Additionally, Hobbs talked about the nerves he felt ahead of that match. While his entrance was a rushed panic of nerves, once the bell rang, he felt comfortable.
"I was nervous," he continued. "If you take a look during my entrance, it took me about three seconds to get all the way down. Like I was that nervous. I was in a rush to get down, I was sliding, hopping, and skipping. Man, I got to the back, and Mark Henry was like, 'Take your time with your entrance,' because it literally took me like maybe three seconds to get down. But nerves were everywhere. As soon as his music hit, and you look around, and you see everybody singing, and he comes up and stands up on that top rope. I was like, 'Okay, shit's about to be on. I just felt so comfortable out there."
CM Punk has not wrestled since defeating Maxwell Jacob Friedman at AEW Revolution 2022.
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