Raj Dhesi, who wrestled as Jinder Mahal in WWE, said he found the backstage environment stressful during CM Punk’s earlier run with the company.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Dhesi said the pressure came from Punk’s standards rather than anything directed at him.
“Just for me, personally, it was stressful when Punk was there. I think it’s ’cause Punk wrestled at such a high standard and he was vocal. While he’s watching, he would pick apart things. And again, it’s not unique to Punk. A lot of wrestlers do it. Just for some reason, I felt extra stress when Punk was there,” Dhesi said.
He put the wider mood in the locker room down to the schedule at the time.
“There was a lot of anger, not from Punk alone, but generally from the locker room. I think the schedule was number one issue,” Dhesi said. “When you put him in a situation where he has to be in the public, like, 200 days a year, body’s breaking down, and X amount of live events every single week, plus media appearances, plus the pressures of main eventing.”
Dhesi said Punk was a different person on his return.
“I don’t want to see Punk miserable. I want to see Punk have a good experience. The limited schedule is the number one factor.”