39-year-old WWE star breaks character to praise CM Punk

CM Punk's long-awaited high-profile contest against Drew McIntyre took place at WWE SummerSlam on August 3. This was his first singles match in World Wrestling Entertainment since 2014. But it was not his night.

McIntyre prevailed in a story-driven match in which Punk's rival Seth Rollins acted as the Special Guest Referee. Ironically, in the end, it was The Straight Edge Superstar's fit of rage that got the better of him.

Ahead of their first-time-ever bout at The Biggest Party of The Summer, Drew McIntyre discussed about everything that preceded it on NotSam Wrestling. He credited Punk for his contribution to putting on a compelling story despite the unfortunate circumstances:

"Knowing and trusting our creative process now, myself as a performer, as much cr*p as I give Punk, rightfully so, he does know this industry, his brain is his gift, as psychotic as it is," McIntyre said. [H/T: Fightful.com]

The Scottish Warrior also credited the team behind the scenes who helped in elevating the product. He admitted that things were difficult in the past but now he looks to do something better every week and up his game, and there are quite a few people who assist in the process.

---

Drew McIntyre also gives a backhanded compliment to the former WWE Champion

An argument can be made that Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk was the hottest rivalry in WWE ahead of SummerSlam, and much of it was carried by The Scottish Warrior during Punk's time away healing up from his tricep injury.

McIntyre took Deadpool & Wolverine as a reference, claiming that the Best in the World does not have healing powers like Wolverine. And because of that, he got enough time to shine on the flagship show:

"I can just be thankful that, talk about something topical since 'Deadpool & Wolverine' is pretty big right now. A torn tricep takes about three, four months to recover from. Thankfully, Punk is, when it comes to recovering, the opposite of Wolverine [laughs]. It allowed me to really take this story all the way," McIntyre said. [H/T: Fightful.com]

After the show, the Scotsman hinted that he would move on from his issues with CM Punk now that he had scored the victory in their feud-ending match. Whether WWE continues their rivalry in the fall bears watching.