CM Punk's return to RAW was a hit, but what comes next for the Best in the World? His promo didn't offer any clues, though it feels like the stage is being set for the former AEW star to feud with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
According to Sports Illustrated, the Best in the World is currently scheduled to clash with both him and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. It sounds like the program with Rollins will come first, and there's already speculation their match will headline the first night of WrestleMania.
When Punk left WWE, one of his biggest gripes was that he never got to go on last at the Show of Shows; next year, for the PLE's 40th anniversary, there's a strong chance he'll finally get his wish.
WWE has started laying the groundwork for Punk vs. Rollins by having the latter make a series of derogatory comments about the returning former WWE Champion. There's even a video from Survivor Series: WarGames doing the rounds showing Rollins swearing at Punk and being held back by other talent when the Chicago native closed out the show.
When and where will we see Punk next? Many believe his in-ring debut won't come until the Royal Rumble (in 2014, the 30-man bout was his final match with the company before he walked out of WWE the next day).
For now, it appears Punk will appear on RAW and SmackDown as, internally, he's listed as a "free agent." Honestly, we'd be shocked if he doesn't appear on SmackDown this Friday, though there's a chance WWE will choose to use him sparingly in order to generate as much interest as possible.
"This was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments that came together very quickly, but we are really excited about it," Triple H recently said of the decision to bring Punk back into the fold. "It's been a long time coming. You can say this about CM Punk, love him, hate him, positive, negative whatever you want to say, people talk about him all the time."
"He is a magnet for that. He is a conversation starter. And for me, if our fans want it, if the WWE Universe is excited to have it, then let's go, and we'll figure out the rest of it from there."
The Game went on to say that the deal came together very late, with only himself and Nick Khan aware of what was going on. Addressing his past issues with Punk, he made it clear that it's all water under the bridge now.
"If you were the same person you were 10 years ago 10 years later, you've messed up," he noted. "Everybody grows, everybody changes. I'm a different person. He's a different person. It's a different company and we're all on the same, even starting ground."
Stay tuned for updates on CM Punk as we have them.