CM Punk is BACK - But What Does That Mean? -A Sunday Special blog post!-

Image Credit: WWE

 Good morning! WWE Survivor Series Wargames happened last night. So did AEW Collision! And Rampage! My predictions for the Survivor Series card went five for five, although my constant hopes for a Jade Cargill debut were dashed. That’s okay, there’s always the Royal Rumble. I was, however, absolutely wrong with this one line: “It feels like WWE [was] trying to avoid CM Punk chants – and disappointment when he isn’t there – while still trying to surprise fans with Randy’s return.”

Yeah, so at the end of the show, after the RAW Superfriends picked up the win over the villainous Judgment Day and the completely-in-the-right Drew McIntyre, after the celebrations and the return of Randy Orton (and R-Truth, although he says he was here the whole time) and even the little lower-right-corner graphic that signals the end of the broadcast…after all that, we got a little pop of static and THE LOUDEST POP I HAVE EVER HEARD as Cult of Personality hit and 17,000+ fans were treated to the shocking return to the WWE of one C.M. Punk.

I’m literally watching Collision as I type this – I used Rampage as my Wargames pre-show – but my brain is so full of questions I wanted to sit down and get them all out before Monday comes and ruins all the fun with actual canon. So let’s ask some questions!

What does C.M. Punk’s return to the WWE mean to his new co-workers?

If you haven’t seen it, there was some immediate fallout from the Punker returning to WWE. Triple H talked about the secrecy involved in Punk’s comeback, and how it was basically just Nick Khan, Punk, and Triple H himself who knew about Punk being signed and snuck into the arena for his last-second appearance. 

Drew McIntyre was reportedly seen storming out of the Allstate Arena after he sold his post-Wargames wounds and headed backstage. McIntyre still doesn’t have a contract, so maybe this was just another insult to him – you know, “Oh, you have money lying around for this guy but not for me?” 

Seth Rollins had a much more dramatic reaction to Punk’s return:

So that’s fun. Are we being worked here? Man, I hope so. I do love a good work. I don’t really follow backstage drama – we’ve all suffered through working with somebody we don’t like, imagine having to do that in a job where every little comment or look gets dissected by a bunch of online sleuths. I enjoy wrestling for the overproduced soap opera of it all, and hopefully Rollins’ real-life opinions aren’t on display here, but rather a storyline for a newly-returned superstar is simply being started on the biggest stage WWE has between now and Monday night. 

Regardless of anyone’s opinions, it looks like Punk is in WWE for the near future. I, for one, welcome the chaos and the endless possibilities that one of my favorite performers brings back to the Fed.

What does C.M. Punk’s return mean to AEW?

Short answer? Not a whole lot, aside from providing some motivation. When Punk signed with AEW, that company got the biggest free agent in all of wrestling, a guy who left the business because of a bad experience with the biggest company in the game. He had a great run with some memorable matches, and many of us who didn’t get a chance to see him were given a golden opportunity to remedy that. Last year, my wife suggested we swing down to Florida for the Revolution show that featured MJF and Punk in a Dog Collar match. I was elated. It was a blast – the whole show was – and it remains a highlight of my wrestling fandom. 

But Punk left after some high-profile disagreements (massive understatement) with a lot of the talent and management of All Elite Wrestling, and many of us thought that was the end of both the Punker’s career and that chapter of AEW. The company has moved on for the most part, not erasing Punk’s existence but certainly not focusing on his time there either. I’m sure we’ll get the occasional snide comment or acknowledgement, especially once the Young Bucks return to television, but beyond that I feel like AEW’s best bet is to do what it does best – put on great matches. Storytelling could use a boost after the increased focus on MJF and Adam Cole’s long story plays out, but the current Continental Classic tournament will take a lot of TV time, meaning several good stories with the twelve guys involved should organically spring up. 

What does C.M. Punk’s return mean for the Royal Rumble?

Now we get into the fun stuff, the fantasy booking. If we are to assume that Rollins’ outburst will be rolled into a rivalry with Punk – and it absolutely should – then does that mean Punk is immediately going for a championship? If so, does he compete for Seth’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Rumble rather than compete in the Rumble match? WHO’S TO SAY? 

I love that idea. I mean, despite a reported multi-year contract, Punk remains both an independent contractor and a man who can clearly get himself out of a work contract if he decides the workplace isn’t for him. Get the good matches in as early as possible. Another option is to go against Shinsuke Nakamura, who has spent the last few weeks cryptically challenging no one in particular. Punk, WWE, really everyone has said that Shin didn’t know about Punk’s impending return, so it’s just a happy coincidence that a performer like Nakamura happens to have set up a perfect slot for a quick feud with a returning Punk (or Orton, for that matter). 

So Punk doesn’t necessarily affect any BIG booking decisions for the Rumble. I still believe Cody Rhodes is the favorite to win it again, force a rematch with Roman Reigns, and finally “finish the story” at WrestleMania 40 by winning the championship. But Punk will definitely be present at the show…I just think he’ll be occupied in a storyline that keeps him busy during the Rumble match.

What does C.M. Punk’s return mean for WrestleMania?

So this is a little more complicated. Punk has often said that he wanted to main event a WrestleMania. If he were to win Rollins’ championship at the Royal Rumble, it’s possible WWE stretches their rivalry all the way out to April. A Punk versus Rollins rematch could be a worthy enough event to main a night of the biggest show of the year, especially if the two prove to have good chemistry in their first matchup. Keeping Punk special will be key – a limited schedule, advertised appearances, not putting him in a multi-man tag match every week. 

The problem lies in the fact that the upper card in WWE is STACKED right now. Cody Rhodes is expected to win his first world championship at ‘Mania, and he likely has expected to pull that off for over a year now. But the Bloodline storyline continues, meaning any combination of Roman, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa could also be involved in a major match. John Cena and The Rock have often teased a comeback, and WrestleMania is the only stage fitting for either of those guys to have a return or farewell match. The Judgment Day remains relevant despite tension, and the Money in the Bank contract that Damian Priest holds remains a threat to all champions. And any number of women’s matches deserve a main event spot as well.

Despite what WWE may say – remember the Triple Main Event at one of the Sweet Saudi Money shows earlier this year? – the last match of the night is the one fans (and performers ) will remember as the main event. And C.M. Punk isn’t the kind of guy who would be okay going on third-to-last, even if it’s advertised otherwise. So unless some pretty big chess pieces are moved around the board, it’s going to be difficult to make everyone happy AND treat the fans to great go-home matches to end each night of WrestleMania. It should be a blast to see what will take shape over the next few months.

And, finally, what does C.M. Punk’s return mean for C.M. Punk?

People talk about an athlete’s “legacy” a lot, especially as they get past their prime. When Emmitt Smith went to the Cardinals, or LeBron signed with Miami, fans and journalists alike had hard opinions on what those moves meant for those performers. Was LeBron’s historical greatness lessened by his desire to play basketball with some friends, win some championships, and form a “dream team” with the Heat? Was Smith’s career somehow diminished because he wanted to keep playing (and getting paid) after the Dallas Cowboys chose to move on from him? 

I don’t think that’s the case, and I think it’s silly to think of these people in those terms. I’ll never forget watching Punk bleed just feet away from me, and getting to see my favorite performer do his thing in person will never change just because he chose to quit his job and get another one somewhere else. He doesn’t owe me, or any of us, an explanation as to why he does what he does with his life, although I’m sure he’ll give us one come Monday night. At the end of the day, that’s why so many of us love C.M. Punk – he’s a guy who does what he wants and lives his life. Sure, sometimes his way of doing things rubs people the wrong way, but as a performer he’s always willing to push himself. And since I don’t work with him, it’s not really my place to say whether he’s a great guy or not, or how his attitude backstage might affect his workplace. I’m just here to enjoy the show. Try it sometime, it makes things way more fun!

Punk has been confirmed for tomorrow’s Monday Night RAW, so I guess most of this blog will be negated by real life, but I really wanted to put something out there with some fun speculation. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the drama this week, and we’ll be back Friday to cover all the fun and all the developments on both WWE and AEW programming. Now that I’ve gotten my thoughts out I can catch up on some podcasts – “That’s Freakin Wrestling” is a favorite of mine – and get this house cleaned up. Give them a listen! And if you have any thoughts, or questions, feel free to drop ‘em in the comments section and I’ll get back to you on the weekly Friday blog.

Until then, have a good week, and Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!