CM Punk, following his epic return promo, took a shot at two top AEW stars after WWE Raw went off the air
The world has been talking about CM Punk returning at Survivor Series 2023, and the ex-AEW star took to the main event of Raw last night to cut his first promo in a WWE ring since 2014.
Some fans were surprised that, at least by his standards, Punk’s return promo on Raw was quite tame. While delivered in the fantastic style we’ve come to expect from the former WWE Champion, his promo didn’t feature the shots at AEW that many people expected.
However, footage of Punk as Raw was just going off the air has shown that the 45-year-old did take a little jab at two of his former colleagues.
CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series
CM Punk’s return to WWE has already become one of the greatest returns in WWE history, generating one of the loudest pops of all time. The ‘Best in the World’ had millions cheering for him on his incredible return, seemingly overshadowing the iconic comeback of Randy Orton in the men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series.
Punk made his comeback on this week’s Raw, addressing what had changed throughout his absence. During the segment, he also revealed that Paul Heyman once suggested that he had to leave the company and return in order to become a top-tier star in the industry, which he’s now done.
CM Punk also name-dropped AJ Lee, his real-life wife, revealing that she sent her regards to the WWE Universe. In an intense promo, Punk addressed how workers have been trying to become the best with their mic skills and in-ring talent while he was gone, but none have been able to match up to him.
By the end of his promo, Punk said that he wasn’t back to make friends in WWE, and was only back to make money. With the fans rallying after him, Punk then did a victory lap to wrap things up, as you can see from the footage below.
While a small gesture to some, others have taken Punk’s victory lap to be a clear shot at the Young Bucks, the new WWE Superstar’s former colleagues from his time in AEW. Right after Punk was fired by Tony Khan in September, the Young Bucks mocked him by doing a victory lap on AEW Collison, and nearly three months later, the former World Heavyweight Champion has responded.
CM Punk is set to feud with Seth Rollins
Punk’s promo on WWE Raw came and went without anyone interrupting him. Many fans expected another member of the WWE roster to interrupt Triple H’s newest signing, setting up his first major feud, but that wasn’t the direction that ‘The Game’ opted to go with.
Many people are happy that Punk is back in WWE, but someone who seemingly isn’t, as he mentioned during his aforementioned return promo, is Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion was captured reacting incredibly angrily at Survivor Series to Punk’s comeback, with the pair having legitimate heat with each other.
While they might not like each other, reports have stated that Rollins and Punk are set to work together as we head out of 2023 and into 2024 in what is expected to be the returning WWE star’s first rivalry back in the company.
If reports are to be believed, Rollins and Punk are set for a match at the Royal Rumble in January 2024 which is expected to be for Seth’s World Heavyweight Championship, unless he drops the title between now and then.