CM Punk officially joins WWE RAW and sets up a WrestleMania duel with Seth Rollins. At the same time, it’s revealed that Rollins’ contract is about to expire…
The wrestling empire WWE is facing an exciting 2024 – in more ways than one.
On the latest edition of the Monday Night RAW TV show, the league set a pivotal course for newly returned top star CM Punk and next spring’s WrestleMania 40 mega-event. And in striking proximity to that, it was also revealed on Monday that the WWE contract of Punk’s presumed opponent will expire soon after: World Champion Seth Rollins.
CM Punk officially joins WWE RAW
Punk, who made his long-unimaginable comeback to WWE at Survivor Series last month, announced news on RAW Tuesday night that the promotion had been holding back: he’s joining the RAW roster, setting his sights on reigning titleholder Rollins and, for now, not top star Roman Reigns, who has been the Universal Champion on Friday’s SmackDown since the summer of 2020.
A verbal confrontation with Rollins – the first since Punk’s return – seemed like confirmation of the rumors that the “Visionary” will be Punk’s first feuding opponent. It all looks like the bout is scheduled for the year’s highlight WrestleMania 40 on April 6 and 7 at the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFL stadium.
Punk also announced on RAW what he had already hinted at on SmackDown on Friday: he will participate in the Royal Rumble in January, the 30-man match whose winner gets to challenge a champion of his choice at WrestleMania.
Does WWE kill Punk’s WrestleMania gimmick?
A win for Punk would pave the way for a clash with Rollins and erase a late blemish on the feisty cult star’s WWE record: Punk has never been in a WrestleMania main event, even during his then-historically long WWE title reign between 2011 and 2013.
At the time, Punk had to give way twice to the giant duel between John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – something that avowedly annoyed him and was a factor in the estrangement between him and WWE that led to his noisy departure in early 2014.
Following his equally bitter rift with rival AEW this summer, it now seems that a late-career highlight has unexpectedly arrived for the 45-year-old. A main event between Punk and Rollins on one day of the two-day mega-show would also leave the door open for the second big Mania clash that has been looming since the 39th edition this year: a Universal Title rematch between Reigns and Cody Rhodes, who was cheated out of victory at WM 39.
Seth Rollins’ WWE contract is set to expire in 2024
As interesting as the looming WrestleMania plans, however, is the parallel revelation of Rollins’ contract ending, which has long been a well-kept secret: As the usually well-informed portal Fightful revealed a few hours before RAW, Rollins’ contract expires in June 2024, and there have been no talks about an extension.
The publication makes you sit up and take notice, not least in light of the fact that Rollins has a troubled history with Punk – at the beginning of 2023, he publicly insulted him as a “cancer” that he didn’t want back in WWE.
Whether the personal anger is still a real issue is uncertain – Rollins has also pushed aside other private animosities in the past or productively turned them into fiction, such as in the feud with the recently fired Matt Riddle.
However, it is safer to assume that Rollins will take a close look at what the WWE will offer him: The 37-year-old exceptional athlete is in an excellent negotiating position, especially since AEW would lick their fingers for him should he and WWE not come together.
WWE must fight for Rollins and also wife Becky Lynch
Rollins’ future could also be intertwined with that of his wife Becky Lynch, whose contract is also due to expire in June 2024 – and whose relationship with WWE has not seemed free of dissonance of late.
It is to be expected that WWE – currently in the midst of the biggest audience and business boom in decades – will invest heavily to keep the popular dream couple instead of playing into the hands of the competition. However, recent months have also shown that the thriving promotion is not prepared to meet all demands.
Negotiations with Rollins’ companion Adam Copeland, aka Edge, recently failed, and legend Copeland moved to AEW. The unresolved contract poker with Rollins’ current rival Drew McIntyre – Rollins’ opponent on the New Year’s edition of RAW – is also pointing to a separation.
Speculation is rife as to who leaked Rollins’ open contract situation and with what ulterior motive
