CM Punk was welcomed back at the WWE Performance Center with open arms.
Survivor Series 2023 saw CM Punk make a shocking return to WWE for the first time since his acrimonious exit in 2014, and though his return initially upset a number of talent, the star is said to be on his best behavior and pleasant to deal with.
Since returning, Punk has made appearances on both Raw and SmackDown, officially signing with the red brand on December 11th. CM Punk also made a surprise on-screen appearance at NXT Deadline on December 9th, appearing alongside Shawn Michaels to kick off the show.
PWInsider reported on December 12th that Punk had flown to Orlando and was once again backstage at NXT despite not being scheduled to appear at the show. His presence was reportedly met with genuine excitement as he spent time with talents. An update from PWInsider on December 13th revealed that Punk was once again at the PC, “training and holding court with NXT talents.”
Fightful Select shed more light on Punk’s appearances at the Performance Center, noting that he was moving around during the December 12th NXT taping and was in both gorilla and near the hard cam observing production. He was also said to be watching matches with talent and giving feedback. Fightful also notes that Punk is said to be a pleasure to deal with backstage, and that he’s welcome there any time he wants.
Shawn Michaels has been vocal about welcoming CM Punk to NXT long before he made his WWE return, and Fightful Select reports that Punk did not take that endorsement lightly.
Will CM Punk Take Over WWE NXT From Shawn Michaels?
A report from Ibou of WrestlePurists shed light on CM Punk’s long term goals, reporting that the star may eventually want to take over NXT when Shawn Michaels is no longer running things there. Ibou wrote on December 12th:
“Like I said on Saturday, CM Punk’s long term goal is to succeed Shawn Michaels in NXT. Was told he was buzzing last night, didn’t sleep and flew to Orlando. He’ll be doing a lot of observing tonight, seeing how things work over there in terms of TV production.”
Fightful Select notes that according to WWE sources, any succession is a long way off as Michaels has no plans to step away from his role any time soon.