Former WWE Manager On CM Punk's Backstage Heat

01/10/2017 12:56 pm EST

CM Punk had a divisive reputation during his time with the WWE, a subject that has come up numerous times since he departed for the UFC.

Former manager and superstar Bruce Prichard, known as Brother Love during his WWE days, had the chance to work with Punk early in his career. On the latest episode of his "Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard" podcast he took questions from fans, and one of them asked about CM Punk (via IWNerd). He acknowledges that Punk is rather rough around the edges, but doesn't completely understand why.

"Punk probably generated more heat backstage than he did in front of the camera, but for me, I always liked CM Punk because he had a genuine love for the business. He was a fan, he enjoyed the business, and he was different. And he didn't take people's s*** and I liked that. I like the fact that he stood up and was unique in his own way and for somebody to come into a business that was heavy on the reputation of drugs and partying and all this stuff and be a straight-edge guy and denounce drugs and partying, not just publicly, but backstage with the guys, that was taken as a negative when it should've been taken as a positive"

Pritchard also went on to say that underneath the rough exterior there is a person worth getting to know, but he understands why some view him the way they do.

"He was different, so I liked him. I took the time to sit and talk to him and tried to get to know him, and once you actually had a conversation with him, you found out that he was a pretty interesting guy. And I think at the very beginning that he was just viewed as this antisocial, anti everything that this has been built on a**hole. And he could carry himself as an a**hole. He could be aloof. He could come off as very cocky and a know-it-all. But once you get passed all that, you find out that there's something else behind it. And I personally like the guy. I think he's a hell of a talent"

Even though his UFC career hasn't gotten off to the best start, Punk continues to be a popular personality. There are many who would love to see him back in the WWE, but who knows how long that process will take if it ever happens. Punk and WWE did not part on the best of terms (an understatement), so there is a great deal of mending that would need to happen first.

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