CM Punk made his surprise return to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins wasn't happy. A video of him losing his cool and being restrained at the mere sight of the former AEW star went viral and he's since taken several shots at the Best in the World.
The company appears to be building to a match (likely at WrestleMania), capitalising on what many believe to be real-life animosity between the two men. The storyline also has echoes of what Punk endured during the time he spent in AEW.
During tonight's episode of RAW, Punk will reveal which brand he's signing with and Monday nights seem likely.
On Saturday evening, Rollins successfully defended his title against Shinsuke Nakamura and, when fans started chanting "CM Punk," he got on the mic and shared his thoughts on that.
"Excuse me, who’s that? Wait, [the] serious question is, was that guy on the show tonight? No, hey, maybe one of these days he’ll grow a set and he’ll come up here to Utica, New York. He’s the best in the world right? No, in all seriousness, I’m the freakin’ best in the world. Because every single town, every single night, it doesn’t matter the opponent, I show up and I show out. I was here the last time we were in this building."
The same happened again on Sunday, with the World Heavyweight once again picking up a win over the King of Strong Style before venting some of his frustrations Punk's way.
"I really don’t feel like talking about that bum tonight. Instead, I’d like to take a second to express my gratitude to each and every one of you guys, from all of us in the back. Everyone in WWE, we just want to say thank you, [and] happy holidays. We’ll see you guys next time. We love you. Now, do me one favor. You’ve been singing my song so beautifully all night long. Let them know in State College who the real Best in the World is."
If WWE fans were as divided on Punk as AEW's followers were during his final months in the company, Rollins remaining a babyface would likely work nicely. As things stand, his words and actions are coming across as incredibly heel-ish, so we can't help but wonder whether a turn is imminent.
Needless to say, we won't be shocked if Rollins and Punk cross paths just a few hours from now on RAW!