WWE Champion CM Punk addressed his knee injury

386 days and counting, and WWE Champion CM Punk is still all about realness.

Specifically, the realness of his knee injury and subsequent surgery, which Punk and his pal Paul Heyman addressed onstage at the Prudential Center. “This injury is 100 percent real,” The Second City Saint insisted, bemused at the idea he would fake an injury to avoid giving Ryback another title opportunity. Punk wasn’t ready to concede anything of the sort to Ryback, instead insisting the injury was the result of the heavy workload that came along with defending the WWE Title for 386 days and, despite the setback, he would be at WWE TLC.

Paul Heyman echoed his champion’s statement, slamming the authenticity of other, lesser champions who would refuse to defend his title as often as Punk did. He also had particularly venomous words for The Rock, who he claimed lost his edge and would instead summon a stunt double (“some poor schmuck” as Heyman so loquaciously put it) to go through the table in his stead. The injury was a testament to Punk’s fortitude and his continued status as the WWE Champion and The Best in the World.

As for the “vocal minority” who insisted Punk should be stripped of the title, The Voice of the Voiceless cried foul on that, too. Rattling off a laundry list of his vanquished foes as evidence, Punk claimed he earned the right to keep his title and would continue to do so, should he end up facing The Rock at the Royal Rumble. “He will fail,” the champion vowed before taking his leave, Heyman in tow and his title safe, at least until day 387.