After a weeklong trek across WWE’s three brands, CM Punk has officially planted his flag on Monday Night Raw. Punk signed the contract in the ring, presented by general manager Adam Pearce. Punk stated despite reasonable offers from Nick Aldis (SmackDown) and Shawn Micheals (NXT), the offer from RAW was head and shoulders above the rest.
Punk exclusively on Raw could significantly impact the pro wrestling landscape. Many Television deals expire next year, and everyone wants to extend their current deal or find a new network to call home. Punk could be the key for WWE.
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins crashed the party, called Punk out on his hypocrisy, and point-blank said he hates him. Punk smiled as Rollins proclaimed himself the best in the world.
Rollins continued, stating if they ever face off for the title, he’ll prove everyone wrong when he makes Punk quit again. Getting in the last word, Punk officially declared for the Royal Rumble and said when he wins, he might go after Roman Reigns or target Rollins.
The infamous “workers’ rights” promo on the May 25 edition of AEW Dynamite was the first public sign of trouble between Punk and AEW. Hangman Page’s’ sharp words were a double-edged sword. Hardcore fans knew what he meant, while casual fans had no clue.
Fast forward seventeen months, and Rollins cut the same promo, but in a manner everyone understood. Punk is an antihero to most and the antichrist to others, which is the narrative WWE has established.
It’s incredible how someone can take something already done and improve it.
Royal Rumble
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are the first two superstars to declare for the Royal Rumble on January 27 in St. Petersburg, Florida. They both traveled similar roads returning to WWE, causing their stories to intertwine. There can only be one winner (In most cases), which means some fans will go home unhappy.
Rhodes and Punk’s presence in the Rumble is reminiscent of Bret Hart and Lex Luger in the 1994 Rumble or Steve Austin and The Rock in 2001. Rhodes and Punk are the favorites to win and have the most compelling story.
If the Rumble is adequately booked, there will be little room for filler entries. Many wrestlers are a much bigger deal now than they were last year.
Wrestlers such as Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Dominick Mysterio, R-Truth, Chad Gable, The Miz, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Gunther are the featured players on Raw.
Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, Logan Paul, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, Santos Escobar, and AJ Styles fill out the top shelf of SmackDown’s roster.
NXT stars could see action in the Rumble with the likes of Carmelo Hayes, Baron Corbin, Dragon Lee, Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, and Ilja Dragunov.
One wrestler from Raw and SmackDown will challenge Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for their respective titles at the Royal Rumble. That leaves twenty-two wrestlers between the red and blue brand.
Plus, Brock Lesnar will most likely return at the Rumble, leaving seven open spots to fill with NXT, main roster wrestlers, and a surprise entry or two. The Rumble is always fun to watch, with multiple big names in the mix.
Putting CM Punk on Monday Night Raw was the right call. SmackDown and NXT have already signed their next television rights contract, while Raw is still trying to lock down a new deal. Punk as an exclusive commodity to Raw will make it easier to get a deal done.
Many in the television landscape await to see who will obtain the NBA television rights next year. Raw, still without a new contract, suggests someone will make WWE a substantial offer once the smoke clears with the NBA.
Warner Bros/Discovery currently has the NBA rights. All signs point to the company departing with those rights as they are in heavy cost-cutting mode. Warner/Discovery also has the television rights to AEW, and they haven’t resigned them yet.
Tony Khan has publically stated his desire for AEW to re-up with Warner/Discovery. However, Warner/Discovery, when commenting on the matter, stated both sides are far away on the value of the TV rights.
Every company with television rights on the market wants a monetary increase from one contract to the next. AEW not having a deal in place currently could mean they want more money than Warner/Discovery is willing to pay.
It was Warner/Discovery who greenlit Collision for AEW with the specific intent to feature CM Punk in the lead role. Now, WWE has the same wrestler featured on its significantly more popular flagship show.
The wrestling landscape might look a lot different in the next twelve months, thanks to CM Punk.
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