Bischoff and Punk Bury the Hatchet at Hogan Tribute

The wrestling world got a rare feel good moment during the Hulk Hogan tribute edition of Monday Night Raw in Detroit on July twenty eight twenty twenty five. Behind the curtain two names with a long history of public jabs finally talked like pros and walked away with respect. Eric Bischoff and CM Punk met face to face for the first time, cleared the air, and by Bischoff’s own account buried the hatchet. The setting could not have been more fitting. A night built to honor Hulk Hogan, an icon who helped both men shape their careers in different eras, gave us an unexpected piece of closure in a business that loves grudges. Reports of the meeting came from Bischoff on his podcast and were quickly picked up by several outlets, with consistent details across the board.

Before we get to the conversation that stole the backstage buzz, it is worth laying out the emotional stage. Raw opened with the roster on the ramp and a solemn tribute for the late Hulk Hogan. A ten bell salute, a memorial graphic, and a video package rolled while the Detroit crowd chanted for The Hulkster. Nick Hogan stood on stage with his wife, clearly moved, while Eric Bischoff, Jimmy Hart, and other friends of Hogan flanked him. The moment was heavy, honest, and respectful, and it set the tone for everything that followed in front of the camera and behind it.

The show itself had major storyline beats and real star power. WWE’s official recap and multiple outlets highlighted a stacked card, with Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, CM Punk, and Gunther all in key segments. Reigns and Uso found themselves in the crosshairs of Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, a nasty beatdown that left the cousins down and out as the road to SummerSlam heated up. Elsewhere CM Punk and Gunther squared up in a tense exchange that hinted at a future showdown, while The Judgment Day mixed it up with The LWO, and Jey Uso fought Bronson Reed in the main event. Fans saw tribute and chaos within the same two hour block, which is exactly the energy a memorial show often carries in pro wrestling.

Now to the story that had longtime watchers talking after the red light turned off. According to Bischoff, he and Punk finally crossed paths backstage in Detroit. They had traded sharp words for years in interviews and on social media, often over business philosophy and Punk’s place in modern wrestling. On his show Eighty Three Weeks, Bischoff said he met Punk in person at Raw, they spoke like grown men, and any lingering resentment was put aside. He even went so far as to call Punk classy in how he handled the moment. Several wrestling news sites echoed the same timeline, adding that this was the first true in person meeting between the two. If you have followed their bites over the years, that detail alone is striking. They had never actually shaken hands until this night.

Why does a handshake matter this much? Because the Bischoff and Punk back and forth had become a familiar drumbeat in the background of wrestling discourse. Bischoff, the former WCW chief turned podcaster, has never been shy about Punk’s comments or decisions. Punk, one of the most polarizing top stars of the last decade, is equally blunt when he fires back. That friction fueled podcasts, headlines, and fan debates. To see both men acknowledge the past and let it go at a show for Hulk Hogan adds real weight. Hogan’s legacy is complicated, and he meant very different things to different corners of the audience. Yet on this night his influence worked as common ground. Bischoff and Punk chose respect over resentment with Hogan’s memory fresh in the air.

Let us cover the in ring results and moments that framed the night, since those details help explain why the arena felt so charged. WWE’s site and several recaps confirm the tribute, the star presence on stage, and the key angles afterward. Roman Reigns returned to Raw and soon found himself targeted by Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. The scene that closed the show saw Reed defeat Jey Uso after chaos and outside factors, then Breakker joined in a post match assault that left both Uso and Reigns laid out. The menacing visual of two surging powerhouses standing over two main event staples hammered home the SummerSlam stakes. Meanwhile CM Punk confronted Gunther in a verbal faceoff that teased a dream level encounter for a later date.

There were other moving parts fans will remember. The Judgment Day and The LWO kept their long running rivalry alive with more physicality. The women’s division featured multi woman action and simmering tensions that figures to spill into championship pictures once the big summer event passes. The commentary team of Michael Cole and Corey Graves maintained a respectful tone during the Hogan segments, then shifted to storyline mode as the night rolled on. Alicia Taylor handled ring announcements. These broadcast notes matter because they capture the way WWE tried to balance tribute with business as usual.

Back to the meeting that everyone is still discussing. What exactly was said between Bischoff and Punk remains private, and that is probably for the best. Bischoff’s public comments were simple, short, and positive. He stressed that the conversation was friendly and that both men moved forward on good terms. He also described Punk as classy. That tone is a far cry from the zingers that used to fly during interview weeks. When a veteran who built a career out of sharp takes chooses to praise a modern headliner instead, it stands out.

Reactions poured in from fans online almost immediately after reports of the backstage peace spread. The general mood leaned surprised but pleased. Many pointed out the symbolic nature of it happening at a Hogan tribute show, with Nick Hogan and Bischoff on stage earlier and the entire locker room united for the ten bell salute. Some fans joked that the real forbidden door was just two people deciding to be adults. Others wondered if the relationship thaw could lead to something on air one day, perhaps even a cameo on a podcast or a roundtable special about Hogan’s legacy where both appear. The idea feels less far fetched today than it did a month ago.

Industry voices took notice as well. Outlets that covered the story framed it as the closing of a long chapter of barbs and quotes. Ringside News, WrestlingNews and PWMania all ran with similar headlines that underscored the first in person meeting and the mutual respect shown. WrestleTalk added that the talk occurred during the July twenty eight Raw that honored Hogan, which lines up with the timeline from other sources. When multiple sites across the spectrum track the same details, fans can feel confident that the broad strokes are accurate.

What does this mean for WWE and its stories moving forward? In the short term not much needs to change. Punk is already featured in top tier angles on Raw, including the tense faceoff with Gunther and the SummerSlam build that involves Reigns, Uso, Reed, and Breakker. That train is moving. Where the Bischoff and Punk moment could matter is in the wider culture around the shows. When veterans and current stars show they can disagree for years and still find peace, it sets a tone in a locker room that is stacked with talent across generations. It also opens the door for creative projects outside the ring. A long sit down interview about Hogan’s impact featuring Bischoff and Punk would draw eyes. A podcast crossover would do the same. Even a simple handshake photo at a future event would tell a story fans would enjoy.

There is also the audience factor. Fans love stories that blend the real and the scripted just enough to feel authentic. This one checks that box. People know Bischoff’s real life history with Hogan and with WCW. People know Punk’s journey, the reactions that follow him in every building, and the way he drives conversation. Seeing them park their issues at a show built to honor someone who meant a lot to both is the kind of real world beat that adds texture to the weekly product. If that spirit carries into creative decisions, it could mean more thoughtful nods to history while the company keeps its focus on today’s stars.

Let us not lose sight of the emotional core of the evening. Hulk Hogan’s passing hit the business hard. He was a crossover star who helped take wrestling into mainstream culture in the nineteen eighties and then reinvented himself in the nineteen nineties with the N W O. Dwayne Johnson, a marquee name in and out of wrestling, shared heartfelt memories around the time of Hogan’s death that reminded everyone of the size of that legacy. Raw in Detroit served as a gathering place for the industry to say thank you one more time. The fact that a decades spanning feud softened backstage on that same night feels like the kind of small miracle wrestling delivers every so often. (EW.com)

As for how the tribute show will be remembered in wrestling history, it will likely stand on two pillars. The first is the broadcast itself, with the ten bell salute, Nick Hogan’s presence, and the respectful presentation that framed the rest of the episode. The second is the quiet moment in the hallway where Eric Bischoff and CM Punk decided to let the past be the past. No yelling, no grand statement, just a conversation and a nod. Sometimes the simplest scenes carry the most weight.

Looking down the road, here are a few realistic predictions that come out of this night. Expect WWE to revisit Hogan’s legacy with more long form content. A network special with interviews from friends and rivals is a safe bet, and Bischoff will be central to that effort. It would not shock anyone if Punk contributes thoughts in a respectful format, even if he stays away from on air angles tied to Hogan. Inside the ring watch for the Punk and Gunther teases to grow louder. The two have the aura and the history to anchor a major event. Also keep an eye on the rising duo of Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, who were positioned as true threats by the end of the Detroit show. Their assault on Reigns and Jey Uso made a clear statement about where WWE sees them heading. Each of these threads grew a little stronger on a night when the company blended grief with momentum.

In a business built on conflict, real forgiveness is rare and memorable. The Hogan tribute Raw gave us closure in front of the camera and behind it. McMahon era veterans and current era headliners shared a stage to honor a legend. Backstage two strong personalities with a history of public shots managed to talk it out and move on. Whether that leads to creative collaborations or remains a one time peace is secondary. For one night in Detroit the spirit of Hulk Hogan’s larger than life showmanship gave way to something smaller and just as meaningful. Two men shook hands, the crowd chanted for a fallen icon, and the show moved forward with a little less baggage than it had the week before. That is worth celebrating in any era of wrestling.