CM Punk returned to WWE last night in one of the most shocking moments I can remember as a lifelong wrestling fan. As the trademark graphic went up in the corner of the screen and Michael Cole summed up the night, the former WWE Champion’s music hit, and the crowd absolutely lost it. Despite heavy speculation from fans who desperately wanted to see him and what seemed like on-air clues, the general consensus was there was just too much bad blood between Triple H, WWE and CM Punk for a return to happen. And then suddenly he was there. I was excited. CM Punk was excited. The fans were certainly excited. Everyone was excited, except a few prominent wrestlers involved in the main event, most notably Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.
The first wave reaction on social media was almost exclusively an outpouring of shock and happiness. WWE quickly posted a clip of his return, and it generated more than a hundred thousand likes in the first few hours. Hundreds of thousands of fans took to social media to express their happiness and start fantasy booking feuds for the leader of the Straight Edge Society. Not long after, however, videos from those in the crowd started to circulate of Drew McIntyre storming out and Seth Rollins throwing up middle fingers, screaming at CM Punk and having to be restrained by announcers Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
So, what’s going on? Are Rollins and McIntyre just setting up future storylines with CM Punk and expressing their disapproval while in character? Is there legitimate bad blood here, and they’re furious to see Pepsi Phil back in WWE? What’s a shoot and what’s a work? Let’s separate Rollins and McIntyre and talk these two out individually.
Is Seth Rollins Mad About CM Punk Returning?
Most of the attention has been on Seth Rollins; so, let’s start there. Rollins and Punk were both in WWE for the end of Punk’s run with the company. They had some interactions in the early days of The Shield, but Rollins hadn’t fully ascended to being one of the top guys in the company yet. Over the years, The Visionary has said some positive things about Punk in interviews (including calling him an inspiration), but more recently, the comments have been a lot more negative. In an interview with Wrestling Inc earlier this year, Rollins was asked if he’d like to see Punk return. He did not hold back, calling him a “cancer” who should stay away from WWE.
Then the return happened and instead of simply watching or looking shocked like most of the wrestlers in the ring, Rollins made his frustration very well known. Videos from ringside show the current World Heavyweight Champion throwing his middle fingers in the air and screaming obscenities. Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Corey Graves and Michael Cole seemed to be trying to calm him down, but it was not working. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported there was an “awkward scene” backstage and Triple H had to escort Rollins away from Punk who was “confused” by what happened.
We don’t know exactly when the participants in the main event, including Seth Rollins, found out CM Punk was debuting, but those in the know are reporting they found out right before they went to the ring. That means the music itself was not a shock, but even if it wasn’t, that doesn’t mean those involved in the main event don’t have some kind of feelings about the popular star returning. He’s said a lot of negative things about WWE and individual wrestlers in the past. He was fired from AEW recently, and there are many who believe he’s a legitimately hard person to work with. There’s no way there isn’t lingering bad blood with many of the more prominent guys who have had interactions with him.
On the other hand, however, he clearly mended fences with Triple H, and there were stories that earlier this year, he hung out with longtime WWE star The Miz and cleared up their long standing issues. After Survivor Series, popular wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said he thinks Rollins’ over the top, vociferous reaction was part of a storyline angle, and there are many others who think Rollins is going to try to capitalize on the negative comments made in the past to create a story that blurs the line between shoot and work. If all goes well, that feels like it could main event night one of WrestleMania 40.
So, the short answer is we don’t know exactly what’s going on. My guess is Rollins isn’t the happiest camper that CM Punk is back, but he’s a tremendous showman and business savvy enough to know there is a huge match here. It feels very in character for him to react in an exaggerated and angry manner about the big return, and I think he’s leaning into some real life feelings to create some drama he knows will play very well as a storyline. But that's an educated guess.
Is Drew McIntyre Mad About CM Punk Returning?
With Drew McIntyre, however, I’m not quite so sure what’s going to happen. The Scottish Warrior didn’t stick around for CM Punk’s return. As soon as the match was over, he bolted to the backstage area, while selling an injury. There’s video going around of him storming out and looking none too pleased. The clips were shared widely but then copyright claimed by WWE and removed. Notably, the ones of Rollins looking mad have not been, at least as of press time, taken down. Fightful reported McIntyre slammed the locker room door and was visibly angry and cursing when he left the arena. He reportedly told those close to him that he wasn’t happy about CM Punk being back.
Reporter Sean Ross Sapp said on Twitter that he’s not sure how Rollins feels but thinks McIntyre is legitimately mad about what happened and how things went down. He’s got his own history with CM Punk, and there also have been a lot of rumors that he’s not been happy with his own creative within WWE. He’s lost so many big matches over the past few years, and with his contract allegedly being up soon, there are many who think whatever is going on with CM Punk might be the final straw that pushes him out the door.
I’m not really sure where the truth lies. I think we’ll know a lot more in the coming days, especially since Punk is allegedly going to be on Raw this Monday, but from my vantage point, it seems much more likely Punk would transition into a feud with Seth Rollins, not Drew McIntyre. There are only two PPVs between now and WrestleMania: The Royal Rumble, which Punk will almost certainly enter, and Elimination Chamber, which is a little more than a month before ‘Mania. If Punk is building toward a huge match at ‘Mania (and why wouldn’t he be?), then I don’t think there’s time for two feuds. And without a title, I don’t think a match with McIntyre is a big enough thing to do at ‘Mania.
To Sum Up
The great thing about wrestling is even when you think you know, you don’t really know. I wrote a whole ass paragraph in my Survivor Series predictions about how CM Punk was not coming back and we should all shut up about it. Meanwhile, my co-worker, who I’m usually on the same page with, has been convinced this whole time he was coming back. Deep down, neither of us knew for sure, and that’s how I feel about this situation moving forward. Whatever Rollins and McIntyre’s reactions were last night, whether they were legitimate or kayfabe, they could easily be different today, and only Triple H truly knows where he wants any of this to go.
So, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show, at least for the rest of the day. Then tomorrow I’ll get back to speculating and pretending I do know because that’s half the fun of being a wrestling fan.
