“He’s Gonna Shock A Lot Of People …”

CM Punk offered some high praise for an underrated WWE NXT Superstar during a recent interview.

Speaking with Complex ahead of the Royal Rumble, Punk was asked about up-and-coming wrestlers he sees big things ahead for.

The former world champion didn’t hesitate to rattle off several names, pointing to the depth currently flowing through WWE’s developmental and main roster pipeline.

“The pipeline is just jam-packed full of people,” Punk said. “You mentioned Oba. Trick just showed up on SmackDown. Carmelo Hayes has been holding it down. Even then, there are still so many people that I think are just like ‘next up.’”

While talents like Oba Femi and Carmelo Hayes were praised as clear standouts, Punk made a point to single out Lexis King as someone fans may be underestimating, but shouldn’t.

“Lexis King, I think, is in line to do great things,” Punk predicted. “He’s a lot different than a lot of those people. I think he almost has to work harder. Like an Oba Femi is obviously a first-round blue chip prospect.”

Punk added, “I think a guy like Lexis King is viewed more like me back in the day, where they look at him and are like, ‘Okay, I don’t know if I get it.’ So he has to work that much harder.”

That perceived uphill climb, in Punk’s view, could ultimately be what defines King’s career.

“He’s really open to ideas. His mind is not closed,” Punk continued. “He’s one of the guys that I think will shock a lot of people when it’s all said and done. When it’s time to hang up the boots, they can look back at his career and think, ‘This is a guy who maybe I didn’t think much of when I first saw. He put the work in, he busted his ass and became really, really good.’”