CM Punk apparently had his own idea for how his WWE comeback should go down, and it involved coming home.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, CM Punk was pushing “very hard” to make his return on the July 6 episode of RAW in his hometown of Chicago, despite WWE having other plans for him.
Those plans still seem to involve moving The Second City Saint over to SmackDown, where WWE is said to view him as a major piece alongside Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, and Rhea Ripley.
Meltzer noted that Punk’s absence was largely designed to set up that move to the blue brand and eventually kick off a feud with Cody Rhodes, which has been discussed internally as a major direction for WWE moving forward.
The interesting part, though, is that Meltzer hinted things are not completely smooth behind the scenes as there are issues between WWE and Punk. Meltzer said it “wouldn’t be correct” to say there are no issues at all with CM Punk and WWE, but “it’s not as bad as some have made it out to be.”
Punk has been away from WWE television since the April 20 edition of RAW, shortly after his WrestleMania 42 main event run. While there was speculation WWE had nothing lined up for him creatively, previous reports indicated the company simply wanted to give him some time off before bringing him back into a top-tier storyline.
Now, it sounds like the biggest question is not whether Punk is returning, but whether WWE grants his apparent wish to come back in front of his hometown crowd or sticks with the bigger picture of planting him firmly on SmackDown opposite Cody Rhodes. Either way, it feels like WWE is loading up for another major Punk run, even if there may be a few bumps along the road getting there.
Do you think CM Punk should return in Chicago on RAW, or should WWE save him for a bigger SmackDown debut and a potential feud with Cody Rhodes? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
