CM Punk has not appeared on WWE television in greater than five weeks, fueling speculation about his status following WrestleMania 42. Nonetheless, a brand new report indicates that his absence isn’t as a result of an absence of creative plans, but somewhat a strategic decision by WWE.
Punk’s last appearance got here on the April 20 edition of RAW, the night after he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns within the principal event of WrestleMania 42 (Night Two). During that segment, Punk teased a possible future clash with Cody Rhodes before stepping away from WWE programming.
In recent weeks, rumors surfaced suggesting that WWE had no creative direction for the previous champion. In response to a report from WrestleVotes, that claim is inaccurate. The report states,
“It’s NOT TRUE that WWE has no plans for CM Punk and that’s the explanation that he’s not being featured.”
As an alternative, the report noted that Punk is currently having fun with what was described as a well-earned break after being a consistent presence on WWE television for nearly three years, except for injury-related absences. The expectation is that when he returns, he’ll immediately be positioned near the highest of the cardboard.
The report also noted that WWE’s post-WrestleMania 42 landscape underwent significant changes. GUNTHER’s move to SmackDown and Jacob Fatu’s arrival on RAW reportedly reshaped several creative plans. Slightly than forcing Punk into an already crowded main-event scene that features Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Jacob Fatu, and GUNTHER, WWE is believed to have opted to temporarily keep him off television until the timing is correct for his return.
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