Former WWE Star claims Paul Heyman kissed him to get back at CM Punk

Paul Heyman and CM Punk had a rocky relationship during their time shared on-screen on WWE TV. Being one of the biggest advocates of Punk at the dawn of his WWE career, Heyman wasn't always loyal to the Second City Saint. During Punk's rivalry with Heyman, the New York-born advocate started managing Ryback.

According to the The Big Guy, after Heyman had turned on CM Punk, he wanted to show his admiration for Ryback to get back at Punk, and he slowly developed a close affection for him. It resulted in a segment where Paul Heyman kissed Ryback on the cheek. While explaining the storyline, the former WWE star was sure to add some exaggeration to the story in jest.

Here's how the storyline led to the kiss in his own words.

"Paul Heyman, who was once representing CM Punk and had a very successful run together, had turned on him," said Ryback. "And, so now, he was feuding with CM Punk, and he needed something new to get back at him. And the big bad bully Ryback was that thing . . . You see, Paul Heyman was like a scorn ex-girlfriend, and he would do anything to get revenge at CM Punk. Segments between Paul Heyman and Ryback were getting weirder and weirder where Paul's love was growing exponentially, but luckily, Ryback did not have that same love for Paul Heyman. This is perhaps one of the most controversial kisses in WWE." [0:12 - 1:26]

Paul Heyman was a big supporter of CM Punk both on and off the screen

When Punk first signed with WWE, Heyman was one of the few people higher up in management who had a lot of trust in him. Punk has gone on record to say that Heyman supported him when many others didn't. Their strong backstage relationship even led to an on-screen partnership during CM Punk's record-setting 434-day reign as the WWE Champion.

The duo was a primary attraction on TV and had countless memorable moments together. Eventually, Heyman turned on Punk, which led to a long feud between the two, featuring multiple opponents for the Chicago native, including Brock Lesnar and Ryback.

What were your thoughts on Ryback's narration of the story? Do you think it played out well? Sound off in the comments section below.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Ryback TV and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.