Ever since Tony Khan fired CM Punk from AEW, it's been speculated the legendary pro wrestler would reappear in the WWE. With Survivor Series taking place in his hometown of Chicago, it seemed all too perfect that the "Best In The World" would make a big return to his former promotion. Of course, everything coming out of the rumor mill points in every possible direction for whether or not it's happening, and no one seems to have the definitive answer. One potential clue has surfaced just before the Premium Live Event, however, and assuming it's not just wildly coincidenal timing, it easily allows for optimism pointing to Punk taking part in the upcoming WWE event.
While the WWE has shied away from usinhg licensed music for its superstars' entrance themes in recent decades, exceptions are made for specific talents. CM Punk was one of those exceptions, and since 2011, he has used Living Colour's 1988 classic "Cult of Personality" to accompany his walks to the ring. Which makes it all the more interesting that the day before Survivor Series, Living Colour released a remastered version of the song that can be listened to on all major streaming platforms. CinemaBlend confirmed the updated version of the song is live, and that it still goes just as hard in 2023 as it did when it first hit the radio.
Full disclosure: there is an otherwise valid reason for Living Colour to have shared an update for their biggest song that goes beyond the return of CM Punk. The band is in the midst of a European tour with fellow throwback rockers Extreme that will shift over to the United States in January 2024. So, it's possible that the band just wanted to give fans a reflection of their live shows by dropping this version of the track, with hopes that people would listen and then buy tickets. But that's less fun to think about as a wrestling fan.
So let's add some more fuel to the speculative fire by noting that the touring schedule for Living Colour features U.S. dates in late March and one currently in May. The band doesn't have anything scheduled for April at the moment, and so if CM Punk did return for Survivor Series or another event in the next few months, the band could perform live during Punk's walkout at WrestleMania 40. Living Colour performed the song for Punk ahead of his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, which was his final 'Mania before leaving the company. So there's actually a precedent for this kind of thing. (Plus, I'd highly recommend seeking the match out and watching with a Peacock Premium subscription, because it's an absolute classic.)
The WWE has blatantly teased CM Punk's return, and yet insiders continue to report from sources that the wrestler will not appear at the annual event. It was even said that part of the reasoning for announcing Randy Orton's return, which I felt WWE fumbled the ball on, was to try and dissuade audiences from any Punk-related expectations.
As of Black Friday 2023, it seems like there's still a mixed consensus amongst fans on whether or not it's happening, but with each hour could come more teases he'll return. Who knows, maybe everyone has been planning this ever since that surprising visit to Monday Night Raw?
We'll find out for sure whether or not CM Punk will appear in the WWE when Survivor Series kicks off on Saturday, November 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to at least see the grand return of Randy Orton and hopefully some other surprises as well for the big pay-per-view.
