The feud between CM Punk and Seth Rollins has quickly become WWE's hottest rivalry. A match that was originally in the cards for one of the main events of WrestleMania 40 has managed to stretch its storyline eight months after Mania without either man laying a finger on the other until recently. It's a testament to how invested fans are that both men were able to maintain fan interest.

The only ingredient that WWE failed to apply over a year's worth of storytelling between Seth Rollins and CM Punk is a clear-cut reason as to why they hate each other. That may have been intentional, as WWE has become known for its long, drawn-out storylines as of late (with Bloodline being a prime example).

It wasn't until the December 9th episode of Raw that WWE finally gave Punk and Rollins the space to explain their grievances. Now, audiences can better understand exactly how this rivalry began, and perhaps even where it's going.

Before Coming to WWE, Seth Rollins Wanted to Train Under CM Punk

How Idols Become Rivals

As both delivered their sides of the story, one aspect they shared was that Seth Rollins first met CM Punk as a 16-year-old fan meeting a wrestler who he idolized. Doing the math, that would have had to have been 22 years ago in 2002, back when Ring of Honor had just taken off the ground and CM Punk was quickly becoming a fan-favorite on the independent wrestling circuit through his work in ROH. It was at that time that a young and arguably naive Rollins asked Punk to train him to become a professional wrestler, for free (according to Punk).

While the 46-year-old CM Punk says today that Rollins came at him from a place of entitlement, it seems the 24-year-old Punk of old let the teenager down gently. According to an interview with Corey Graves, as a teenager, Rollins was an introvert who followed the straight edge lifestyle and liked rock and metal music, all things he had in common with CM Punk. Ultimately, Rollins was trained by Danny Daniels in Illinois and made his debut in the Iowa independent scene.

Some will say that this being the crux of their beef sounds borderline petty at best. However, their feud is much bigger than Rollins having sour grapes over an ill-fated coaching request from two decades ago. This moment merely created the building blocks for a feud that would persist in the coming years. It's a small fire that would create an engulfing inferno between these two men today.

Seth Rollins Reunites with CM Punk in WWE

Friendships Blossom and Jobs are Saved

Without CM Punk's guidance, Seth Rollins would do just fine on his own, becoming a wrestler on his own accord, and while Punk was achieving his dreams as WWE Champion, the future Visionary was making a name for himself as Tyler Black, eventually winning the ROH World Championship. It's at that point that he was scouted by WWE and eventually signed. Working through the developmental system in Florida Championship Wrestling, when WWE rebranded it to NXT, Rollins became the inaugural NXT Champion.

This lead to an iconic staredown between CM Punk and Seth Rolins, when the then-WWE Champion appeared on NXT programming, teasing a feud for the future. However, this was when WWE didn't have as much faith in Superstars who weighed less than 200 lbs and weren't jacked. Thus, Rollins' job security was in jeopardy, but as Punk alluded, he saved Rollins' job after he "shielded him." This is a reference to how CM Punk approached WWE creatives with an idea for what would become The Shield, handpicking Rollins as one of its .

In kayfabe, Punk and his advocate Paul Heyman, would quietly hire three NXT Superstars in Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns to ensure Punk continued to retain his WWE Championship from the shadows, starting with his Survivor Series 2012 defense. Considering how much success the of the Shield had, it's safe to say that not just Rollins, but the WWE as a whole owes a lot to CM Punk for that idea.

CM Punk Leaves WWE, Destroying His Friendship With Rollins

Burning Bridges and Ignoring Phone Calls

In due time, Punk would feud with his former onscreen protectors, leading to his first onscreen match against Seth Rollins on the December 30, 2013 episode of Raw, which Punk would win. Behind the scenes, Rollins and Punk would grow closer as friends, but a month after their first match, Punk quit the company. When explaining his side of the story, Rollins says this was a turning point in their friendship. The reason was that Punk ignored Rollins' phone calls and texts because, according to the latter, the former could not accept that someone did not want to quit their dream job to show solidarity with Punk's plight.

Someone Rollins recognized as a friend, who he respected and idolized growing up, had suddenly ghosted him. Rollins wasn't the only co-worker Punk gave the cold shoulder, but the silence didn't sting until Punk began partaking in interviews bashing the company and anyone who still worked for it. It's also worth noting that when Punk briefly returned to work for FOX for their WWE Backstage post-show, he frequently and openly criticized Rollins, mostly for his social media antics. Rollins took it personally, and more clearly than ever, the friendship was over.

Adding fuel to the fire, CM Punk's tirade on WWE would continue when he decided to return to wrestling - not for WWE, but for its competition, AEW, at a time when Rollins was one of WWE's key flagbearers. In Rollins' eyes, Punk had tried to tear down WWE whenever he found an opportunity to do so, and only decided to mend bridges with the company when "the money was right." Alas, when that day did come at Survivor Series 2023, then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins visibly blew a gasket on live television.

CM Punk Returns to WWE, Drawing the Ire of Seth Rollins

A Backstage Feud Reignited Onscreen

While The Visionary's public display blurred the lines between reality and fiction, it was at least evident that the road to WrestleMania was pointing to Rollins vs. Punk for the World Title. At least that was the big rumor heading into the Show of Shows, but those hopes were dashed when Punk legitimately tore his right tricep in the Royal Rumble following a DDT from Drew McIntyre. This put Punk on the shelf for months after Mania, and though he'd start feuding with McIntyre, Rollins continued to hover around the Straight Edge Superstar and vice versa, albeit without touching each other.

After finally ending his feud with McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell, CM Punk went on a hiatus to heal, during which the OG Bloodline tried to coax Seth Rollins into ing them for WarGames against the Bloodline 2.0. Rollins' disdain for former Shield mate Roman Reigns was too great to convince The Architect to become their fifth man, so instead, Reigns and co. recruited Seth's archrival, CM Punk, by way of the Wiseman. Punk aiding his nemesis to win WarGames, victoriously no less, was the last straw for Seth Rollins, and in a confrontation the next night, they went to fisticuffs for the first time.

Just over a year since CM Punk's WWE return, Punk and Rollins' gripe with each other has finally been addressed, along with them finally going to blows. With the rivalry reaching its peak intensity, it's been rumored that CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins may finally happen on Netflix's premiere episode of Monday Night Raw. It seems as though their rage has boiled over enough that waiting for WrestleMania isn't going to cut it for either character. This is a rivalry that has continued to cook for two decades and is finally overheating into a WWE ring.