CM Punk isn’t brushing off Drew McIntyre’s latest verbal swing, and he made that clear while addressing the controversy surrounding the WWE 2K26 cover reveal.
After Punk was unveiled as the cover star on January 30, 2026, McIntyre reportedly took a shot at him, referring to him as a “junkie” and questioning how he secured the spotlight. The remark added another layer to their already heated rivalry — and Punk didn’t let it go unanswered.
CM Punk Responds to Drew McIntyre’s WWE 2K26 Cover Criticism
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Punk suggested the criticism says more about McIntyre than it does about him.
“You know, it’s what everybody does. They got to talk about the cover athlete. They got to talk about the champ to stay relevant, to say anything interesting,” Punk said.
He then questioned whether jealousy might be driving the comments.
“I mean, has Drew ever been on the cover? Okay, so maybe there’s a little bit of jealousy. There’s a little bit of envy there. I don’t know what else to say beyond that.”
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion didn’t stop at subtlety. Referencing their brutal Hell in a Cell encounter, he added, “If Drew was on the cover, we could do the 15 staples on the top of his head that I put in his head in Hell in the Cell. Maybe that’ll sell covers. I don’t know.”
He closed with another dig aimed at McIntyre’s support base, saying, “I don’t even think people in Scotland would buy it if Drew was on the cover. He’s a Rangers fan. Says enough, right?”
WWE 2K26 is set to release on March 13, 2026, and will feature a dedicated “Punked” Showcase mode narrated by Punk himself.
With WrestleMania season approaching, the back-and-forth between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre continues to escalate. Whether this remains a war of words or leads to another chapter in their storied rivalry remains to be seen.
