Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, April 10. Last night’s NXT carried on after Stand & Deliver, and we saw what was possibly Bron Breakker’s final farewell on the brand.

After Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin lost the NXT Tag Team Titles this week, Breakker addressed the NXT fans with a goodbye speech.

EXCLUSIVE: @bronbreakkerwwe reflects on his time in NXT and thanks the NXT Universe one last time.#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/nDWitOozm4

— WWE (@WWE) April 10, 2024

Let’s get into today’s edition of the Daily Drop!

WWE:

– The Final Boss Gets Stock: TKO awarded The Rock with $9.4 million in company stock after WrestleMania 40. In total, he was given 96,558 additional shares, adding to around 400,000 shares of TKO stock is already had currently valued at approximately $39 million.

– Cody Rhodes Merch Sales: Cody had an incredible WrestleMania 40 weekend, and in the end, WWE sold over $1 million in his merch.

– Damian Priest Contract Status: Priest confirmed after his WWE World Heavyweight Championship win that he inked a new contract with the company.

– Cody Rhodes Made History: The American Nightmare made history at WrestleMania by racking up a triple crown title win. Rhodes became the fourth wrestler in history to hold the WWE World Championship and the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.

– The Nightmare’s New Fur Baby: Rhea Ripley celebrated her big WrestleMania 40 win by getting a new dog. Via her Instagram stories, she introduced fans to Bella.

– Seth Rollins’ Injury Hiatus: Rollins lost the WWE World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania, and he’s taking some time off. A recent report stated that Rollins won’t be out of action for long, as he just needs to rest up his knee injury.

– Cody Tops The Rock: Cody Rhodes actually beat The Rock in Google search volume on April 8, the day after his big WrestleMania 40 win over Roman Reigns.

AEW:

– Tony Khan Talks Footage: Khan has doubled-down that they are not bait and switching fans with the CM Punk footage.

– Limited Edition Merch: AEW has a new “Swerve When I Drive” t-shirt featuring Prince NaNa. This will be a limited edition offering, and you can check it out below.

This limited edition @princekingnana “Swerve When I Drive” shirt is only available until 1pm ET TOMORROW at https://t.co/9hHlXpcSbp! Order yours today, so you don’t miss out!#shopaew #aew #aewdynamite #aewrampage #aewcollision pic.twitter.com/t6MvXLeXaP

— ShopAEW.com (@ShopAEW) April 8, 2024

– AEW Collision Rating: The April 6th AEW Collision show had about 463,000 people watching on average overnight, and it scored 0.15 for viewers aged 18 to 49. This is a bit higher than the last show, which had 458,000 viewers and a 0.11 score in the same age group.

AEW Dynamite Card This Week (4/10):

• TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
• AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
• Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
• Chris Jericho, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Shane Taylor, & Lee Moriarty)
• Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will reveal backstage footage from AEW All In at Wembley Stadium
• Toni Storm to toast Thunder Rosa

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

CM Punk made a surprise appearance during the main event of the Raw after WrestleMania 40 and once again made a big impact on the world title scene.

McIntyre held the world title briefly at the Show of Shows. His decision to taunt the Straight Edge Star after the win over Seth Rollins cost him big, however. After Punk snapped on the Scottish Warrior, his attack allowed Damian Priest to successfully cash in the Money In The Bank contract.

The main event of this week’s Raw then saw McIntyre alongside Bronson Reed, Ricochet, and Jey Uso battling for an opportunity to challenge for the world title.

Right as Drew was going to win the whole thing with a Claymore on Uso, CM Punk made a surprise appearance. His distraction allowed the former Bloodline member to take advantage and pick up the win.

The show went off air with Punk standing on the announce desk, celebrating Jey’s victory with his signature hand gesture. He stayed around after the cameras stopped rolling and cut a promo for the crowd:

Full off air CM Punk promo from #WWERaw after costing Drew McIntyre another world title opportunityhttps://t.co/pGseYf9QzQ

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 9, 2024

CM Punk first put over the Philadelphia crowd for their wrestling spirit and then shouted out the WWE crew for putting together the show. The former world champion ended his promo by promising to have his wrestling boots on the next time WWE visits the city.

What Happened On Raw After WrestleMania

Elsewhere on the show we saw surprise appearances from people such as Jade Cargill, John Cena, and even The Rock.

Jade Cargill defeated Chelsea Green in a short match while John Cena teamed up with the new tag team champions R Truth and The Miz for a match against The Judgement Day. Cena and Awesome Truth picked up the win in this bout

The Rock, on the other hand, confronted the new Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in a tense segment and further confirmed that his run with the company was not over just yet.

Cody Rhodes officially finished his story at WrestleMania 40, but an important question remains – what’s next?

Following Rhodes’ victory over Roman Reigns in the night two main event of WrestleMania 40, WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair and CM Punk shared their thoughts (via ESPN) on what may lay ahead for the brand new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. According to Flair, Rhodes’ win over Reigns could simply be a marker for the start of his story. 

“I really think his story is just beginning,” Flair said. “He’s exactly where he should be, but the biggest takeaway is Cody was here. He went away, he came back. Kind of like Paul Heyman’s speech at the Hall of Fame, people kept telling him ‘No, No, No’ or things kept failing and that never wavered either person’s confidence. Cody is a testament to knowing your worth and I think that’s what we need to take away from tonight is he believed in himself and he knew that he deserved more. That’s why he walked out WrestleMania 40 as champion.”

CM Punk Issues A Stark Reminder

With his WrestleMania win, Cody Rhodes becomes the first member of the Rhodes family to win the WWE Championship. This also marks the first world championship reign of Cody’s individual career. 

While there is a natural excitement surrounding Cody’s triumph, five-time world champion CM Punk has issued a stark reminder that just because one has reached the proverbial mountaintop, doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll stay there for long.

 “Now listen, a black belt is a white belt that didn’t quit. He just earned his black belt. and unlike his finishing maneuver. we are no longer at a crossroads. I think the path is clear, possibly the Cody Rhodes era,” Punk said. “But I will warn him it is much harder to stay on top than it is to get there and we all saw how hard it was for him to get there. There’s a lot of people gunning for him.” 

As one story ends, another typically begins. With that in mind, it seems as though Cody Rhodes has now teased the possibility of introducing a new title design as well.

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Sunday, April 7. This is a day that a lot of fans have waited for, because it is officially WrestleMania Sunday.

Last night was a huge Mania event, and we’re looking at Bloodline rules for the main event tonight thanks to The Rock and Roman Reigns beating Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes in the main event!

Check out our complete WrestleMania 40 Saturday coverage by visiting our WrestleMania 40 hub.

Let’s get right into today’s WrestleMania edition of the Daily Drop!

WWE:

– Brock Lesnar’s At Home: Triple H addressed Brock Lesnar’s current WWE status. He said that he’s not gone, but he is at home.

– WrestleMania 41: Roman Reigns already has the WrestleMania 41 main event on his mind, but he will still defend the title against Cody Rhodes on WrestleMania 40 Sunday.

– The Rock’s Future: It seems that The Rock is still thinking about his future in WWE, even after WrestleMania 40.

– WrestleMania 40 Attendance: They announced during the show that WrestleMania Saturday drew a crowd of 72,543 fans.

– Tag Team Title Split: WWE finally split up the Undisputed Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 40. Awesome Truth won the RAW Titles, and A-Town Down Under won the SmackDown belts.

– Giulia is NXT: After months of hype, Giulia showed up on WWE television. She was seen in the crowd during NXT: Stand & Deliver.

– New Women’s Title: During NXT Stand & Deliver, they announced that a new Women’s North American Title is coming. They revealed the title design, but we do not know when or how they will crown the first champion.

WrestleMania 40 Sunday Card:

• Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship
• The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford) (with B-Fab) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar) (with Scarlett and Paul Ellering): Six-man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight
• LA Knight vs. AJ Styles 
• Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens Triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship
• Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley: Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
• Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes: Bloodline Rules match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

AEW:

– Brawl In Footage: AEW will air the footage that they have of CM Punk and Jack Perry’s All In brawl. This is real, and Tony Khan will show everyone the footage that they used to determine that Punk should be fired from All Elite Wrestling.

– Why Jade Left: Jade Cargill opened up a bit more about why she left AEW. She made it clear that she felt she could not grow with AEW, because at 31-years-old, she needed to go somewhere that could put her in a big position right now.

Upcoming Wrestling Shows

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Fans tuning in to the April 10, edition of AEW Dynamite will get to learn more about what really transpired backstage at AEW All in 2023 in London, England. 

During the April 7, episode of AEW Collision, it was announced that the Bucks will share footage from All In and will discuss what transpired backstage in Wembley Stadium last August. It was not revealed on Collision what this footage and discussion will be about. 

Unsurprisingly, the tease of backstage footage from All In has led fans to speculate that they will see CM Punk’s infamous backstage fight with Jack Perry. Fightful Select later reported that AEW indeed plans on showing footage of Punk’s incident with Perry and that this footage will be genuine. Talent and staff who have asked about the footage have been told it relates to Punk’s altercation with Perry. 

Legalities do not appear to be an issue, despite Punk now being with WWE. Sources believe that the video was enough cause for the company to part with Punk without much of an issue from a legal perspective.

AEW Dynamite – April 10, 2024

This mystery footage is just part of what’ll be quite the show on the upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite. Also on the show, Dustin Rhodes will face AEW World Champion Samoa Joe in a Championship Eliminator Match. Should Rhodes win, he’ll receive a future title match against Joe. 

TNT Champion Adam Copeland will put his gold on the line against Penta El Zero Miedo. The WWE Hall of Famer captured the gold from former friend Christian Cage during the March 20, episode of Dynamite in their native Toronto. 

Chris Jericho, HOOK & Katsuyori Shibata will take on Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Lee Moriarty & Anthony Ogogo) on the upcoming Dynamite. Ogogo joined the group on AEW Collision. 

Kevin Owens is “perfectly fine” with CM Punk’s return to WWE as the two do not have any kind of working relationship in the world of professional wrestling. 

Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 in an act that immediately sparked discussions about whether he could co-exist with the roster. Speaking to the Gorilla Position podcast, Owens was asked for his thoughts on Punk’s return. 

“Well, we have no relationship. No, we’re not each other’s type of people I don’t think. There’s a ten-foot vicinity that if we enter in, then we have to kinda ‘Hey. Hi.’ Otherwise, we just don’t, and it’s fine. It’s perfectly fine.”

Since Punk’s return, there’s been a lot of talk about how the Best in the World has changed since walking out of WWE in 2014, with Triple H making clear Punk had changed during the post-Survivor Series press conference. When asked if he’s noticed a change, Owens was curt with his response.

“I don’t know that and I don’t care, to be honest. I am who I am. He is who he is, and it’s fine that way.”

CM Punk’s Return

While Owens may not care one bit about CM Punk’s return to WWE, his unlikely comeback has had a lot of people talking. So far, reports about Punk’s conduct in WWE have been glowing, with the ex-AEW star being open to ideas and eager to help at the WWE Performance Center.

Last month, Booker T claimed that he and CM Punk had a ‘run-in’ at a WWE NXT taping. Many were skeptical of the claim given that nobody saw the alleged altercation and given Punk’s exemplary track record since returning. Booker quickly said after his initial claim that fans were making too big a deal of things. Booker later admitted that this was his attempt at “clickbait” and he was “just playing around.”

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

AJ Styles has expressed his eagerness to battle CM Punk despite ‘expecting a problem’ after the latter’s return to WWE.

‘The Phenomenal One’ was asked to share his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to WWE during his interview on The Ringer Wrestling Show. Styles admitted that he predicted it would be a problem to have his former rival in WWE but all seems well. The former WWE Champion further said that he would want to share the ring with Punk. He said:

“I mean, if you know anything about AJ Styles and CM Punk, you would know that we really don’t care for each other. But if you want me to ruin everything that you think you know, I can. Past performance predicts future behavior, right? Some over at AEW are my best friends – love ‘em, trust ‘em, know ‘em. And I was expecting a problem when [Punk] came here – and I was wrong. The guy looks like he’s happy to be here. He looks like a guy that I’d want to step in the ring with and tear the house down with.”

AJ Styles tells us how he really feels about CM Punk’s comeback to WWE! @DavidShoemaker @Kazeem @StatGuyGreg pic.twitter.com/JeFHvKbBg4

— The Ringer Wrestling Show (@ringerwrestling) April 4, 2024

It is no secret that AJ Styles and CM Punk have had a tumultuous relationship since the 2000s. They previously shared the ring when they were a part of the ROH roster but Styles parted ways with the promotion in 2004. That was the last time they battled each other and notably Styles has been vocal about not wanting to face Punk ever again. 

AJ Styles and CM Punk’s involvement in WrestleMania 40

AJ Styles is set to face LA Knight at this weekend’s WrestleMania 40. On the other hand, things haven’t turned out too well for CM Punk lately. ‘The Second City Saint’ scripted one of the historic moments in WWE when he made his comeback at Survivor Series: WarGames PLE last month. Without question, the pro wrestling world was shocked by what transpired in Chicago. He soon gained momentum and seemed that a title shot would be on the cards for WrestleMania 40.

However, he sustained a torn tricep during the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match which has kept him on the shelf. But he has made it clear he would be still involved in the ‘Show of Shows’ in some capacity.

With Styles changing his stance and CM Punk returning to the squared circle in the next few months, we could certainly witness the two legends work with each other again.

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Thursday, April 4. Fans had AEW Dynamite last night, and it’s only one day away from the WWE Hall of Fame the go-home SmackDown before WrestleMania.

Before we get going, is there a curse when you beat John Cena? SEScoops has a brand-new feature that dives into that very subject.

Days Until WrestleMania 40: 2

WWE:

– Tribal Chief x Madden: Roman Reigns will be a playable character in Madden 24 in their Ultimate Team Mode.

– The Rock at WWE World: It was announced that The Rock will make an appearance at WWE World on April 4. The Final Boss will be there at 4:00 PM for the fans. Odds are, that will be a very crowded attraction at Fanatics’ first-ever WWE event.

– Ronda Rousey Accuses Drew Gulak: Rousey brought attention to Drew Gulak when she claimed that he grabbed the string on her sweatpants, which she said was an illustration of the culture within WWE toward women. He later responded to the allegation.

– Pretty Woman Moment: Chelsea Green was apparently kicked out of a hotel on Tuesday, because they thought she had a much different profession. You can read all about that case of mistaken identity here.

– Roman Makes A Vow: Roman Reigns and The Rock appeared on The Tonight Show last night. During his appearance, The Tribal Chief vowed to end Cody Rhodes.

– Zayn’s Got Jokes: Sami Zayn was booked for a comedy set at the Netflix is a Joke festival. We can’t wait to hear his material.

AEW:

– Mercedes Calls Her Shot: Mercedes Mone hasn’t competed in AEW yet, but she already claimed a title match at Double or Nothing.

– AEW Dynasty: AEW made some additions to their Dynasty card. The event is going down in Saint Louis on April 21, so they only have a couple of weeks to get there.

– Dax Seemingly Responds: Dax Harwood had a chance to cut a promo after AEW Dynamite this week. Many fans believe that he was answering back to CM Punk’s comments about the company that he made during his Ariel Helwani interview on the MMA Hour.

Dax cut a promo following AEW Dynamite last night responding to the comments his friend CM Punk made on MMA Hour. pic.twitter.com/L9BT3pmtpx

— We R Wrestling (@WeRWrestlingg) April 4, 2024

– MJF & The Rock: MJF had to respond to The Rock when the People’s Champion wanted to buy a work of art that MJF’s ex painted. Needless to say, that resulted in quite a viral moment.

– AEW Releases: In case you missed it, we have compiled a tracker for AEW releases and departures in 2024. You may find that list here.

Upcoming Wrestling Shows

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Cody Rhodes loved his time in AEW and views his old boss a little differently than CM Punk.

Ariel Helwani played host to CM Punk earlier in the week where Punk mentioned to him that he thinks Tony Khan is a nice guy, but not a boss. Rhodes happened to be Helwani’s guest on Wednesday’s edition of the MMA Hour and asked ‘The American Nightmare’ if he felt the same way.

“That’s his assessment. It is not my assessment. It is always important for me to remind people that I am so proud of what me Matt, Nick, Kenny, Tony, Bernie [Cahill], Brandi, and Dana, and Chris [Harrington], and I name all these people, because I was in those meetings. As much as the Internet will try to spin a narrative one way, if one of those people had not been at that start-up level, the company would not have happened. And I am so proud of what was created. I am so insanely proud of what it does for the industry overall.”

Rhodes says he has an unbelievable love for so many people there. Rhodes reiterated that it was a start-up company and he wishes AEW nothing but the best as it goes forward. 

Cody Rhodes Believes The Tension In AEW Was A Misunderstanding

Helwani then followed up by asking if Cody Rhodes can envision Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks getting abrasive with an outsider and established star like CM Punk.

“I just think what happened there was a ton of misunderstanding, a ton of miscommunication, you will see on indies and wrestlers that aren’t properly trained and I’m not talking about bullying etiquette or anything like that, but you do need to have a little ‘old school’ in you to know the collaborativeness of what this is, and I just think they were ships in the night. I know I was Switzerland the last time you asked me, I love Matt, Nick and Kenny and I love CM Punk. I don’t know how, but I do. I’m just happy for everyone involved.”

Several times since leaving AEW, Rhodes has tipped the cap to his former AEW EVPs and they’ve done the same in exchange.

CM Punk is known for creating controversy, and it’s a label he wore with pride for a majority of his career. That attitude led to falling out of friendship with a few people, but we are happy to report that things are okay between Punk and Corey Graves now.

Although there was some animosity between Corey Graves and CM Punk for several years, things are okay now. Punk shut out so many of his old WWE friends, and Graves was in that group. Now, things are much better after they mended their broken friendship.

Graves and Punk Patch Things Up

While speaking to the Wrestle Binge podcast, Corey Graves explained that he patched things up with CM Punk on the day of the Royal Rumble event. The two came to a real understanding, and Graves said it feels good to have that friendship back.

“So the day of the Royal Rumble, at Tropicana Field, I actually got to pull him aside for a few minutes, and we cleared the air. Had a nice, long chat. We got apologizes for some things over the years and realized that this is where we both belong, this is where we both want to be, and it’s been a really exciting time for me personally to be able to rekindle a friendship that meant so much to me over the years.”

CM Punk and Corey Graves’ Falling Out

Punk and Graves have known each other for over 20 years. They were once close friends and occasional colleagues in the wrestling ring. Despite not facing each other in WWE due to Graves’ career ending in NXT and Punk’s departure from the company in 2014, they bonded on several things outside pro wrestling.

Despite their previous friendship, Punk cut ties with Graves and other WWE associates after leaving the company, seemingly due to their continued employment there. Graves, in turn, publicly expressed his disappointment and sense of betrayal through Twitter posts following Punk’s departure and subsequent legal victories against WWE.

Now, it’s all water under the bridge for CM Punk and Corey Graves. The Second City Savior has needed to bury a few hatchets since returning to WWE, and things seem to be okay between the two now.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more, in the pro wrestling world if we get any additional information. Keep checking back throughout the day for more headlines!

CM Punk’s new interview with Ariel Helwani is certainly chock full of newsworthy topics as ‘The Best In The World’ addressed quite a bit in the conversation, including Hangman Page.

Punk was discussing his non-relationship with his former close friend, Colt Cabana, and mentioned that they only very briefly had an interaction while in AEW before Punk told him to go through his lawyer if he ever wants to speak to him again. That prompted Punk to mention how he believes Cabana was the crux for all that unfolded in AEW, including Page “going into business” for himself on AEW Dynamite. 

Page and Punk were building to their match for AEW Double Or Nothing and Hangman made inside reference to Punk alienating himself from people backstage. Punk told Helwani he sympathized with Page’s thoughts, but not in front of a packed arena.

“I applaud and I said this to Hangman, I was like, ‘Man, I get taking up for your friends, I get it. That’s commendable .I do that all the time right or wrong, I’ll stand up for my f***ing friends, but to f***ing go on national television and jeopardize a million dollar house that you ain’t ever drawn before. Now you’re disrespecting me and you’re disrespecting the business. This is my house. I drew that, not you,’ you know? And that’s egos. It is what it is.”

Punk covered plenty of ground in this revealing interview on WrestleMania week including his brief interaction with Vince McMahon, his thoughts on Tony Khan and much more.

Please credit MMA Hour and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

CM Punk’s recent comments on the MMA Hour have had the wrestling world talking, including those in both WWE and All Elite Wrestling. 

Punk’s appearance on the Ariel Helwani-hosted show saw him discuss various topics including his return to WWE, the departure of Vince McMahon, and his time with AEW. Punk, as expected, did not hold back in discussing these matters in great detail. 

AEW Reacts

Following his comments on the show, several AEW stars. posted tweets of support for the company. When Fightful Select asked about this, they were told it was more about supporting the company than anything else. 

A supporter of Punk in AEW said that the interview was bound to happen eventually. They hope that’s the last they hear of Punk’s backstage issue in AEW until hopefully one-day fences are mended.

One veteran AEW talent said: 

“More than anything, what the interview showed was that this was preventable from all sides. Punk is happy, AEW talent moved on, so hopefully everyone just learns from it and makes amends in the future.”

WWE Reactions

One WWE talent said that they figured Punk would answer questions about AEW, despite the NDA is in place. Another WWE name preferred that Punk answered questions this week as they hope his comments will be overshadowed by the stacked week of wrestling content coming up in the next few days. 

Sticking to a trend in recent reports, all news about Punk since his return to WWE has been positive. Executives asked for their comments on the interview said they didn’t believe Punk really wanted to broach the subject of AEW but was expecting it to come up. 

Punk isn’t likely to be subjected to a heavy media schedule this week like some others in the company, as he’s still recovering from an injury.

What’s Next for CM Punk? 

Punk won’t be competing at WWE WrestleMania 40 but he’ll still have a role with the show. The Chicago-Made Superstar will be the guest commentator for the World Heavyweight Championship between Seth Rollins and challenger Drew McIntyre. 

AEW and CM Punk’s working relationship wasn’t on the greatest of terms for a while, up to his eventual release. It seems that showing up to see some friends at WWE RAW wasn’t something they liked at all.

CM Punk recently told Areil Helwani anything he wanted to know about the past few years of his career. That included retelling the story about how he ended up backstage at WWE RAW in April 2023, and how AEW felt a certain way about things afterward.

AEW Felt Betrayed By CM Punk

CM Punk showed up backstage at WWE RAW while he was still under contract. RAW happened to be in Chicago, but his stay backstage didn’t last long before he was thrown out. AEW was not happy with the situation at all.

While speaking to Ariel Helwani, CM Punk said that it was Bayley who extended the invitation for him to attend RAW while they were in Chicago. Then, he said, it didn’t take long before Vince McMahon called in and had him ejected from the backstage area.

“I went to visit people, I’m the old-timer in the business and there’s a show in town. I wasn’t trying to get a job or anything, I literally just to say hi to Bayley and a few other people.”

Punk was then asked if anyone from AEW had issues with him visiting RAW while he was still under contract. He confirmed that was the case, and they felt “betrayed” on top of it.

“Oh yeah [people in AEW were mad] … I think the word ‘betrayed’ was used, I was like, ‘alright man.’ As a company you’re allowing people to go on other company’s television shows to do things — I went backstage to say hi to friends. Two completely different things. So, if you’re gonna be mad about it, okay.”

CM Punk’s Road Back To WWE

CM Punk did make his return to AEW, but it was short-lived. He was released after that Brawl In situation went down with Jack Perry, an experience he also spoke about in detail with Helwani.

WWE fans were shocked to see Punk return during the 2023 Survivor Series event in Chicago. Both WWE fans and fellow Superstars welcomed Punk home after that. Vince McMahon had nothing to do with that return, and Punk said that less than 10 people knew he was returning to the company. He signed his new contract and went straight out to the live crowd.

Punk is currently injured, and his arm was in its brace for the interview. He is working out without the assistance of that device, so hopefully his in-ring return will come sooner than later.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more from the pro wrestling world. You never know what will break next, but we will be here with the headlines you need.

CM Punk may have “nothing to hide” regarding what transpired backstage at AEW All Out 2022 but regrets appearing on the media scrum after the pay-per-view. 

At the September 2022 event, CM Punk captured his second AEW World Championship, besting Jon Moxley in the show’s main event. After the show, Punk would shoot on several members of the AEW roster. Backstage, Punk, Ace Steel, The Elite, and others would participate in a backstage fight that resulted in all parties being suspended.

CM Punk on Brawl Out

On the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Punk was asked for information about the infamous backstage fight. While Punk felt like he couldn’t discuss the matter in detail, he made clear that he has nothing to hide. 

“I don’t think I can [talk about it] but I didn’t have to sign an NDA for anything I did wrong… I have nothing to hide and I don’t give a s***.”

When asked if he regrets how things went down, Punk said he wishes things had gone differently. The two-time former AEW World Champion added that the idea of these press conferences in wrestling is not his style.

“I think you can go back and be like ‘Well I wish I never did the scrum.’ Scrums are stupid anyway. Yeah, those things were really cringe.”

CM Punk on Tony Khan

One year on from being brought into AEW by Tony Khan, Brawl Out would forever change Punk’s relationship with Khan. In the interview, Punk didn’t hold back in his evaluation of the AEW President. 

“He’s not a boss. He’s a nice guy. And I think ultimately that is a detriment to the company. But it’s not my company. I’m an outsider.”

Punk added that the last time he spoke to Khan was at AEW All In following his backstage fight with Jack Perry. After the fight, Punk faced Samoa Joe in the opening match of the main show. Punk said that he walked into the match knowing it’d be his last AEW match and made clear he quit the company.

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

CM Punk’s first interaction with Vince McMahon after returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 would also prove to be his last, the Chicago-Made star has revealed. 

The Best in the World returned in the closing moments of the show, in his first appearance at a WWE Premium Live Event since the 2014 Royal Rumble. Punk was fired from AEW in September 2023 following a week-long investigation into his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In.

Meeting With Vince McMahon

Speaking to Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour, Punk recalled being invited to WWE’s headquarters for a workout and being approached by McMahon’s trainers before the man himself. 

“I was in there, and I was on the phone on the treadmill warming up. And Vince’s trainers [say] ‘Hey, you’ve got to get off the phone. Vince doesn’t like it when people are on the phone in the gym… And then I saw him walking down into the gym. He came in for his daily workout. 

When asked, Punk recalled the brief conversation he shared with McMahon and the plans that neither man was able to follow up on. 

“He gave me a big hug. He said ‘Welcome home. Good to see you. Let’s connect after I work out.’ I said alright. Haven’t seen him since [laughs.]” 

What Came Next? 

McMahon would resign from WWE two months after Punk’s return to the company. The 78-year-old billionaire would step away due to the damning claims in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against himself and WWE. McMahon has denied all wrongdoing. 

Mere days after McMahon’s resignation, Punk would suffer a triceps injury that has kept him on the shelf ever since. Despite this, Punk will be a guest commentator at WrestleMania 40 for the World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. 

Seth Rollins has made clear he isn’t a fan of CM Punk, but people change and time can heal all wounds.

CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series in Chicago and an angle was worked where Rollins and Drew McIntyre in particular were “irate” at Punk showing up. All that certainly makes sense in today’s WrestleMania 40 landscape considering that the reported plan was for CM Punk to face Rollins, but Punk’s triceps injury clearly tabled that and Drew McIntyre has seamlessly fit into the role of a true “raw” antagonist who will challenge Rollins in Philadelphia.

Punk made his return to the All State Arena in Chi-town this past Monday on RAW and eventually found himself in the crosshairs of Rollins and McIntyre. Rollins happened to take on a heelish persona as he ran down Punk, making note that he doesn’t even think about him and told him flat-out that would find it appropriate if Punk was on commentary to announce that he retained his World Heavyweight Championship against Drew.

The Reported Dynamic Between CM Punk & Seth Rollins Backstage

Last year, way before CM Punk came back to WWE, Rollins unbashedly called CM Punk a “cancer” when asked of his thoughts regarding ‘The Best In The World,’ making it quite clear he wasn’t exactly fond of Punk.

To substantiate that, earlier this week, Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch wrote “by all accounts” there was no love loss between Punk and Rollins, but then reports how that dynamic has changed since Punk has been back in the fold.

“While Seth harbored legitimate gripes with Punk, the two are getting along backstage when planning their segments. Punk continues to get all positive reviews from many sources regarding how he is carrying himself amongst colleagues and management.”

CM Punk will indeed be guest commentator during the WrestleMania match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Thursday, March 28. Fans had a packed episode of AEW Dynamite last night, and we’re less than 10 days from WrestleMania 40. It’s an exciting time to be a pro wrestling fan, so let’s get right into it!

Days Until WrestleMania 40: 9

WWE:

– Punk Goes Off-Script: I was able to confirm that CM Punk’s line where he referenced Vince McMahon naming Drew McIntyre “The Chosen One” was improvised.

As if this needed to be said, but I have been able to confirm that CM Punk's reference to Vince McMahon on RAW this week was 100% improvised. pic.twitter.com/1LgbP7A8QF

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) March 27, 2024

– The Man’s Contract: Becky Lynch confirmed to Ariel Helwani that her WWE contract is up in two months. She doesn’t seem too worried about the situation.

– Austin 3:16 at WM 40: WWE has been in talks with Steve Austin for some kind of WrestleMania 40 appearance.

– Sami Zayn Merch: WWE released a new t-shirt for Zayn ahead of WrestleMania 40. His new merchandise highlights how he is the #1 contender for GUNTHER’s IC Title. You can click here to see what they have to offer.

The Contender! Get ready for Sami Zayn’s WrestleMania matchup with this NEW Tee! Available now at #WWEShop! #WWE ?: https://t.co/3ooj8HJB9j pic.twitter.com/OnONs0u1iw

— WWEShop.com (@WWEShop) March 25, 2024

– New WWE Championship: Corey Graves confirmed that WWE Speed will introduce a new championship for the company’s new social media show.

– Drew McIntyre’s WWE Deal: McIntyre’s WWE contract is still running up sometime after WrestleMania 40.

– Hogan is Mania (Maybe): WWE is talking about bringing Hulk Hogan in for WrestleMania 40. It wasn’t noted what role they’re discussing for him.

AEW:

– Tony Hawk is All Elite: Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk appeared on AEW Dynamite this week alongside Darby Allin. They were there to plug a charity that he’s involved with that builds skate parks.

– Adding to Dynasty: AEW added Willow Nightingale vs Julia Hart for the TBS Title and Swerve Strickland vs Samoa Joe for the AEW Title to the Dynasty card on April 21.

– Proud n Powerful: Mike Santana went into even more detail about why he and Ortiz broke up.

– Double or Nothing 2024: AEW announced during Dynamite that on Sunday, May 26, they will host Double or Nothing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena once again.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, March 27. WWE NXT added a big triple threat title match to their Stand & Deliver event last night, and there’s a lot more to get into.

Days Until WrestleMania 40: 10

WWE:

– WWE RAW Ratings: RAW averaged 1.729 million viewers for their 3/25 episode from Chicago. This number is up from last week, when RAW averaged 1.687 million viewers. They also garnered a .57 rating in the coveted 18 to 49 demographic this week.

– Punk’s Warning For Rock: CM Punk commented on The Rock recently, and he is confident that they will cross paths at this point.

– Indefinite Hiatus: Ridge Holland announced during WWE NXT this week that he is stepping away from the ring. It was later confirmed by Sean Ross Sapp that this is all a work and not really a retirement of any kind.

– Superstars Spotted In Public: Also, CM Punk, Jackie Redman, and Jey Uso were recently spotted at a Chicago Blackhawks game.

– Man Against The World: Becky Lynch has a nice new t-shirt on the WWE Shop. You may click here to see what they have to offer.

The MAN against the WORLD! Head to #WWEShop and check out this NEW Becky Lynch Tee! #WWE ?: https://t.co/zdenlGTqIo pic.twitter.com/u1MrxZsbTO

— WWEShop.com (@WWEShop) March 25, 2024

– Internal Leak: WWE’s policy on consensual workplace relationships leaked, and it’s worth a read. This document was updated in 2023, and it says that superiors are not allowed to date people under them in the company.

– NXT Stand & Deliver Card: You can check out the latest Stand & Deliver card below.

• Host: Meta-Four
• Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo: Singles match for the NXT Championship
• Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker (c) vs. Tournament Winners: Tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
• Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes: Singles match
• Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez: Singles match for the NXT Women’s Championship
• Oba Femi (c) vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs – Triple Threat match for the NXT North American Title

AEW:

– PPV Move: Starting with AEW Dynasty on April 21, all AEW pay-per-views will be on Triller in the United States, not B/R Live.

– Good To Wrestle: AEW’s Nigel McGuinness said that he felt fine getting back in the ring.

– AEW x WWE Friendship: AEW star Konosuke Takeshita was recently spotted with Shinsuke Nakamura. The King of Strong Style posted a photo of the two on his Twitter/X account. It appears that they had a good meeting.

?????????? pic.twitter.com/T23yQrS4Pj

— Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) March 26, 2024

– AEW Dynamite Card: You may find the card for the March 27 edition of Dynamite below.

• Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
• Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita
• AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party
• AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal: Best Friends vs. Undisputed Kingdom
• Winner Earns TBS Title Shot: Anna Jay vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Some WWE Superstars were given far more flexibility than usual with their promo during the March 25, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. 

The penultimate Raw before WWE WrestleMania 40 took place at the All-State Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The show went off the air in shocking fashion with Cody Rhodes being left a bloodied heap by The Rock, fulfilling his promise to make the American Nightmare bleed. 

Punk, McIntyre & Rollins on Raw

Raw also saw Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk share a segment ahead of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Rollins and McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. The segment culminated with Punk, who’s had issues with both men, announcing he will be the guest commentator for their title match. 

Given Leeway

Rather than the usual scripted dialogue that is expected to be recited word-for-word, this week’s segment saw the talent given more leeway, Fightful Select reports. While there was a general outline of the direction of the promo, Punk, McIntyre, and Rollins were free to express themselves and gauge the audiences’ reaction to their improvisation. WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce was listed as the producer of the segment. 

Caught Off Guard

During the segment, the fans rallied for Punk to be the guest referee of the upcoming match, though the Chicago-Made star questioned if he could be objective with the two “dips**ts.” This profanity caught WWE’s production team off-guard, especially following a memo reminding talent of the importance of keeping their language PG. 

Despite this, there were no reported issues backstage following the segment. Later in the show, The Rock also used some expletives during his beatdown on Cody Rhodes. 

CM Punk, Jey Uso, and Jackie Redmond all had a blast at a recent NHL game in Chicago, Illinois, following the March 25, episode of Raw in the Windy City. 

On Raw, Punk shared a segment with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre ahead of their World Heavyweight Championship showdown at WrestleMania 40. Punk, who has had issues with both men, would reveal that he will be on commentary for their much-anticipated title match on WrestleMania 40: Sunday. 

In the main event of the show, Jey Uso lived up to his ‘Main Event’ moniker with a victory over Shinsuke Nakamura. 

WWE Stars at the Chicago Blackhawks Game

The day after this week’s Raw in Chicago, Punk, Uso, and Redmond watched the Chicago Blackhawks in action against the Calgary Flames. Their presence didn’t go unnoticed by the Blackhawks as the trio appeared on the video screens. 

Star-studded night at the UC tonight!

Now we have CM Punk, Jey Uso, and Jackie Redmond in the house!@CMPunk @WWEUsos @Jackie_Redmond #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/LiUC7wwenq

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) March 27, 2024

Jackie Redmond, who is an interviewer and correspondent for Monday Night Raw, added that this game was Uso’s first time at a hockey game. 

Oh and yes.

This was Jey USO’s first hockey game… and you know we brought cameras. ? https://t.co/tptb65nvrn

— Jackie Redmond (@Jackie_Redmond) March 27, 2024

The trio of WWE talents clearly had fun at the Blackhawks game and will have been thrilled with the result. The Blackhawks got an early 2-0 advantage in the first third of the game and defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1. 

Jey Uso at WrestleMania 40 

Punk isn’t the only name who attended the Blackhawks game set for a major role at WrestleMania 40. Jey Uso will take on his brother Jimmy Uso at the show. This match comes months after Jimmy betrayed Jey at SummerSlam 2023 when Jey challenged Roman Reigns in Tribal Combat. 

This will be the third sibling showdown at WrestleMania. Owen Hart defeated Bret Hart at WrestleMania X in 1994 while Matt Hardy bested his younger brother Jeff at WrestleMania 25 in 2009. 

Chicago was simmering for CM Punk on WWE Raw and ‘The Second City Saint’ didn’t let his hometown down. Punk made his long-awaited return to The Windy City and dropped the WrestleMania 40 bombshell that he’d be on commentary for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.

After the show ended, Cathy Kelley caught up with Punk backstage for a WWE Digital Exclusive interview and asked him what it felt like to be in front of a packed house in Chicago.

“I feel such a responsibility to want to give them a show that I can’t right now because I paid the price of being a professional wrestler since I was 15, but I felt I gave them a little bit of that guy.”

Kelley mentioned that The Rock name-dropped Punk tonight after being relatively quiet when it comes to him. That didn’t go unnoticed by CM Punk.

“I’m glad Rock’s back and it’s good to see that he knows his role and he’s kept his mouth shut. Anything goes here in this new era of WWE with me being back I’m gonna cross paths with everybody sooner or later.”

EXCLUSIVE: What does @CMPunk have to say about tonight's events on #WWERaw? ? pic.twitter.com/DNbwOQaMsG

— WWE (@WWE) March 26, 2024

Finally, when it came to Punk being on commentary for Rollins vs. McIntyre, Punk said he thought being behind the broadcast booth may be the best spot for him that evening.

“Let’s face it, who’s the five-tool player in the WWE right now? It’s this guy. I’d like to maybe try my hand out as a referee, but honestly, I would not be able to be impartial with those two idiots so maybe commentary is the best thing to do.”

CM Punk injured his tricep during the Royal Rumble match, and that took him out of a WrestleMania 40 match. He will still be around for Mania, and he made that clear as he showed up for RAW in Chicago. 

The Second City Savior showed up on WWE RAW this week, and they pushed the limits. Punk made reference to Vince McMahon calling McIntyre the Chosen One years ago, and he even broke the TV-PG rules.

In the end, it was decided that CM Punk will be on commentary during Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s match at WrestleMania 40.

Punk Takes Over WWE RAW

CM Punk received a huge ovation as he made his entrance on RAW this week. His promo started off with a huge pop, and then he mentioned Pat McAfee’s show, and how he had Roman Reigns on as a guest. Punk said he didn’t listen to it, because he listens to The Experience and the Drive-Thru, which showed love to Jim Cornette’s two shows.

He mentioned how Roman Reigns was on Pat McAfee’s show recently, and he had some trash to talk about Punk. That is when Punk said that he has a feeling he will cross paths with the Tribal Chief soon.

Then, CM Punk directed his attention to Drew McIntyre, and the Scottish Warrior came out to make his presence known. He trash-talked Punk, saying that he prayed for his injury. 

These three DESPISE one another!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/wAqZnOanKn

— WWE (@WWE) March 26, 2024

While Drew McIntyre showed off his merchandise with CM Punk’s name on it, the Second City Savior said that he never had to put another man’s name on a t-shirt to sell it. Then McIntyre wondered why, as a straight edge guy, CM Punk spends all of his time in rehab.

Punk invited McIntyre into the ring, but he didn’t take him up on it. Drew said he was afraid that Punk had a weapon hidden in the ring. Punk laid down on the mat, and then McIntyre crossed his legs and sat on the announce table as they continued.’

"WHAT WAS HIS NAME" LMAOO#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/lG3k7D3Ef0

— s e t h (@futurafreesky) March 26, 2024

Drew McIntyre said he was the Chosen One. Then Punk asked who chose him, “go ahead, say his name!” Drew remained silent, and only smiled. That was, of course, a reference to Vince McMahon.

CM REF?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/bdc4eOc6Sm

— WWE (@WWE) March 26, 2024

Seth Rollins entered the situation next, and the Chicago fans sang his song in a big way. Then he got down to business to hype his WWE World Heavyweight Title match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania XL.

Rollins asked fans if CM Punk should be on commentary during his match, as fans chanted “referee.” Rollins said that Punk’s injured arm is his “counting arm,” which caused Punk to get on the mat and count 1-2-3. Then Punk said, “to be fair I don’t think I could be objective with these two dip sh*ts.” McIntyre quickly replied, “PG, brother.”

In the end, CM Punk said that he will put on a headset and call CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. This decision drew a very positive response from fans.

Another signature *mic drop* moment from @CMPunk on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/bdPutxHDZq

— WWE (@WWE) March 26, 2024

WWE’s Original WrestleMania 40 Plans

CM Punk was originally slated to face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. Cody Rhodes was always going to win the Royal Rumble, but an injury angle was going to take him out of action. 

The Rock was initially going to take on Roman Reigns in the main event, with Cody waiting until later to cash in his Rumble win. After Punk’s injury and the #WeWantCody reaction from his “Cody Crybabies,” WWE changed the WrestleMania 40 card to what we have today.

CM Punk is out of action as he recovers from a triceps injury. WWE is in Chicago for RAW this week, and Punk will be there. McIntyre will be there as well, and he isn’t letting go of their beef.

Drew McIntyre visited a spot in Chicago to take a little jab at the Second City Savior while he was there. Mindy’s Bakery provided Punk with the muffins he ate while he ranted about the Young Bucks and Colt Cabana just before Brawl Out went down. McIntyre doesn’t want Punk to forget about that.

Drew McIntyre’s Latest Troll At CM Punk

CM Punk went off during the 2022 AEW All Out media scrum. He was angry, bloody, and hungry. As he vented after the pay-per-view, he also ate some muffins from Mindy’s Bakery. That spot has become a very famous location for pro wrestling fans, and Drew McIntyre couldn’t resist.

WWE is in Chicago for RAW this week. Drew McIntyre will be there, and he will continue his road to WrestleMania. The Celtic Warrior couldn’t help but take a shot at CM Punk before the show.

McIntyre showed up at Mindy’s Bakery, with a CM Punk shirt on, and he was very happy to see the establishment first-hand. Sadly, they are closed on Monday and Tuesdays, so he didn’t get anything to eat.

CM Punk will be on RAW this week. He could bring a very unexpected element to the show. McIntyre will be watching that segment closely, and he will also be ready for Punk’s return from injury.

And I was really hungry ?? pic.twitter.com/JKrjiizoiI

— Drew (@DMcIntyreWWE) March 25, 2024

Drew McIntyre’s WWE Future

At last report, Drew McIntyre has not inked a new WWE contract. The former WWE Champion’s deal is set to run up after WrestleMania.

WWE is advertising McIntyre for events after his contract is set to expire. The fact that he is giving so much effort into trolling CM Punk is also a possible sign that he plans on sticking around.

McIntyre’s contract did have some time tacked onto it as an extension due to time he got off due to injury in 2023. SEScoops will have more on this story, and many more, so please keep checking back throughout the day.

CM Punk is ready to spit fire on Chicago. Punk will make his long-awaited return to the Windy City under the WWE banner tonight on WWE Raw and he has clearly been taking note on what’s been going on television and at live events.

On his Instagram stories very early Monday morning, Punk shared a doctored photo of him and Cody Rhodes closed-eye kissing with the caption:

“I see what Rhea Ripley been doing on house shows and I’m prepared to raise the bar. See you tomorrow Chicago!”

Punk then added, “Live TV is the best, let’s all swear!”

CM Punk is ready for #WWERaw tonight. pic.twitter.com/ZzJl76qiwx

— Dominic DeAngelo | 1TS (@DominicDeAngelo) March 25, 2024

CM Punk hasn’t been a featured star on WWE since tearing his triceps during the Royal Rumble match, which now the heel Drew McIntyre takes great credit for. When Punk confirmed his injury the following night on Raw, McIntyre came out to confront, demean and beat down Punk. McIntyre has made it a calling card of his to relentlessly take digs at Punk and ruining his opportunity to main event a WrestleMania.

Punk was last seen as a guest commentator during the WWE WrestleMania 40 Kickoff in Las Vegas and had several thoughts regarding the ongoings at the T-Mobile Arena.  Punk made clear that Cody Rhodes should’ve punched The Rock in the mouth after he slapped him and even mocked The Rock while he was still on stage about 50 yards away.

One would imagine Punk’s return will likely involve McIntyre tonight and Punk has previously said that he plans to be at WrestleMania 40 even if he’s not invited.

WWE fans saw CM Punk go out of action with an injury after the Royal Rumble, but he intends on being at WrestleMania 40, whether he’s invited or not. He plans on raising the bar during WWE RAW this week.

CM Punk will be on hand for the March 25 episode of WWE RAW in Chicago. He wants to leave a mark, and he wants to told Rhea Ripley’s recent stinkface activities. 

CM Punk Makes Bold Claim

Rhea Ripley’s stinkface antics have gone viral at this point. Shayna Baszler also drew attention to the spot by practically begging for The Nightmare to execute Rikishi’s signature move on her.

CM Punk is out of action with a triceps injury, but he’s been paying attention. The Second City Savior posted on his Instagram story to make it clear that he’s seen what Ripley has been doing at WWE live event, and he intends on outdoing her.

Punk also included a photo of himself face-to-face with Cody Rhodes. The story also had a soundtrack of “Like A Parasite” by The Queers.

I see what Rhea Ripley has been doing on house shows and I’m prepared to raise the bar. See you tomorrow Chicago!

CM Punk is about to wild out on #WWERAW tonight. pic.twitter.com/rKj8OFgcUz

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) March 25, 2024

On another note, CM Punk said that he’s also ready to step in the ring with Rhea Ripley. WWE has a ban on intergender matches in place, but that contest would bring a lot of eyes to it.

CM Punk’s WrestleMania 40 Story

WWE RAW will be in Chicago this week, and CM Punk won’t miss it. It is unclear what he will do at this point, because he is not involved in any WrestleMania match at this time. He may reply to Drew McIntyre’s barrage of attacks that he’s been shoveling Punk’s direction since his injury hiatus started. 

CM Punk was originally slated to face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. Cody Rhodes was always going to win the Royal Rumble, but an injury angle was going to take him out of action. The Rock was initially going to take on Roman Reigns in the main event, with Cody waiting until later to cash in his Rumble win. After Punk’s injury and the #WeWantCody reaction from his “Cody Crybabies,” WWE changed the WrestleMania 40 card to what we have today.

CM Punk’s WrestleMania Plans

Punk said that he will be at WrestleMania 40, whether he’s invited or not. He has not been announced for any match or segment during the two-night extravaganza at this time. He will make an appearance during WWE World, Fanatics’ first-ever WWE event.

CM Punk also showed off some gear on Instagram recently that he may use to surprise fans at WrestleMania. You may find that post below.

Punk posted this on his IG story YOOOO pic.twitter.com/4xJ3XBTA9K

— Roman Reigns SZN ? (@reigns_era) March 23, 2024