The newly returned WWE top star CM Punk has suffered a serious injury at the Royal Rumble – his planned WrestleMania match has been canceled.
Bitter certainty for wrestling market leader WWE and CM Punk: The newly returned top star suffered a serious injury at the Royal Rumble on Saturday – and has to write off his planned title match at the annual highlight WrestleMania 40 in April!
On the Monday Night RAW TV show, Punk confirmed reports that he tore his triceps in the Rumble match, the first major bout since his return. It’s the same injury he suffered in the fall of 2022 before his real-life beating scandal at the AEW show All Out.
This time it apparently happened during a move by his rival Drew McIntyre – a Future Shock DDT in which Punk apparently overextended his shoulder area .
CM Punk injured: WrestleMania match ruined
At WrestleMania in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl Stadium, WWE reportedly scheduled a match between Punk and World Champion Seth Rollins. It was already in jeopardy due to a torn ligament Rollins has been suffering from for two weeks, but now it’s definitely off.
This is the third time since Punk’s 2021 wrestling comeback that a major injury has slowed down the now 45-year-old: At competitor AEW – which he had originally ruled out – he suffered a foot injury and the first triceps tear in 2022, both shortly after winning the league’s World Title.
Last September, Punk was fired by AEW after a long-simmering, heated internal rift. He returned – surprisingly at the time – to WWE, where he had also divorced in a dispute in 2014.
WrestleMania dream shattered again
Bitter for Punk: The injury catches him just before a long-cherished dream seemed to come true late: The former WWE and AEW champion’s track record is missing a WrestleMania main event match.
Even at his career peak after his legendary “Pipe Bomb” in 2011, he did not receive the coveted honor: in 2012, as reigning WWE Champion, he had to give way to the blockbuster duel between John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and in 2013 – when Punk faced The Undertaker – to the rematch between the two megastars.
His annoyance at the alleged false promises made to him by WWE founder Vince McMahon, who had just been ousted following serious allegations, contributed to the break between Punk and WWE that took place in early 2014
Drew McIntyre pours salt in the wound
Also this year, Punk’s match would have likely been overshadowed by the Universal Title match between champion Roman Reigns and Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes, but because the Megashow is now a two-day event, the official main event on Day 1 would have most likely gone to Punk and Rollins – this has now fallen through.
Instead, Punk was written out of the RAW program and the way was paved for his presumed comeback feud: In a statement to the fans, Punk promised to do everything in his power to play a leading role at WrestleMania 41 from now on – before that, he would take on McIntyre.
That same McIntyre then rubbed salt in Punk’s wound with venomous accusations and finally attacked him.
McIntyre’s contract is due to expire soon
Exciting McIntyre’s WWE contract is set to expire shortly after WrestleMania, with talks of an extension having fallen through due to money. Now McIntyre has a new bargaining chip – at least for a short-term deal to facilitate Punk’s now logical comeback feud.
Another segment that got people talking: after the match between Reigns and Rhodes seemed to be set at the Rumble, on RAW the now opponent-less Seth Rollins challenged Rhodes to reconsider his decision and challenge him instead of Reigns
Rhodes concluded the segment by saying that he hadn’t really thought about it – but now he would.
