CM Punk will not be at Survivor Series but the door is not completely closed.
Back on October 10th, it was reported that WWE were not in talks with CM Punk and 24 hours later it came to light that the company had actually turned down the former AEW star. Punk was said to be interested in returning to the company he left on bad terms with in 2014, but WWE and more specifically, Vince McMahon, were much less enthusiastic about Punk making a return after nearly a decade away.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter on October 13th, Dave Meltzer reported that any potential deal between the two sides is “dead,” however the door is never completely closed given the nature of the business.
“The stuff with C.M. Punk is a no for right now. It could change, but it’s doubtful it will any time soon unless business goes down or there is a huge public outcry for him that hasn’t happened. It’s a Vince McMahon call and the others in charge are Levesque and Nick Khan, but in the end they are doing what Vince McMahon wants.
It was strong enough that company officials would be willing to say that they have no interest at this point and talks are dead right now . But I was also told not to close the door completely on it because it’s wrestling. The teases that have been out there like Nakamura doing the GTS are not an indication he’s coming back.”
In the weeks leading up to the show, WWE has done everything possible to reduce any possibilities of making fans think that the former World Champion will be making a surprise appearance in Chicago. This included announcing Randy Orton as being a part of the Men’s WarGames match ahead of time, as any mystery in the matter would further fuel speculation. As of November 24th, there has been a further update.
What Is The Latest On CM Punk At Survivor Series?
As noted in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE sources have still denied that Punk will be a part of the show, but it has been speculated that this could still be a “well-kept secret.” It also confirms that Orton was announced ahead of time to stop chants in The Allstate Arena:
Of course the biggest question regarding the show probably involves C.M. Punk. If WWE was to bring in Punk, this night or Smackdown the night before would be the place to debut him. We’ve seen no evidence this is happening and those close to the situation have denied it, but it is possible it’s a well-kept secret. We do know that one of the key reasons they made sure Orton’s name was out and didn’t do a surprise was the idea that it would lead to people expecting Punk in that spot and they wanted that shut down.
If Punk isn’t there the last thing the company wants is Punk chants during the show. From the start we were told that while there is negativity about Punk, they are not completely opposed to it if the idea is it’s something they have to do in regard to fan response. While every creative head has their plan, this creative side is not looking at being combative with the audience like Vince McMahon often was.
In Punk-related news, Nick Aldis expressed disappointment with the BBC over a clip he claims was edited.