Before returning to WWE, CM Punk didn't shy away from criticising the company's association with Saudi Arabia. The country is frequently accused of human rights violations, but WWE has a big money deal with a country looking to shed its negative image and increase tourism and business operations.
In a no-deleted 2020 Tweet, Punk told The Miz to "go suck a blood money covered d**k in Saudi Arabia."
That made it all the more surprising when this Monday's RAW saw the Best in the World accept John Cena's offer to face him for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions on June 28 in Riyadh.
According to Dave Meltzer, Punk has been on board with this match for some time. "He could not go to Saudi Arabia/Night of Champions if he really wanted to not go," the insider claimed. "He was going months ago. I had already asked about that a couple of months ago when the show was first talked about, and he was in the original promo package, and then he was taken out of the promo package."
"And I asked, am I supposed to see when Seth Rollins replaced him in that promo package that he’s not going, and it’s like, 'Nope, he’s going,'" Melzer continued. "So it’s been known he’s going for months, probably all along. I don’t know if he ever voiced any issue with going at any point since he signed, but he hasn’t in months. I know that."
Chances are WWE has asked that Punk visit Saudi Arabia himself to see what the country is like and make his own judgments. Many fans feel he should have faced Cena at SummerSlam, and their match taking place at Night of Champions does feel rather like Cena retaining is inevitable.
The King of the Ring tournament also takes place at Night of Champions, and the winner of that will face the world champion of their choosing at SummerSlam. With Cody Rhodes in the mix, a WrestleMania rematch with Cena might be inevitable.
Cena shared a tongue-in-cheek reaction to Punk making the trip to Saudi Arabia. You can check that out below, along with some highlights from their confrontation on RAW.