Earlier tonight on SmackDown, many fans noticed that another one of CM Punk's promos was referenced on commentary. This immediately sent fans into a frenzy as they thought that more teases of his potential return were surfacing. This reference was made once more by Corey Graves.
This was not the first time Graves had done this, as a month and a half ago, on SmackDown, he referenced one of Punk's Ring of Honor promos ahead of Fastlane. He used the iconic line, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making people forget that he existed." This was also a line from the 1995 movie The Usual Suspects.
Tonight, the WWE commentator referenced another CM Punk promo. He used Punk's words, "On July 17, I will become a monster to fight the monsters of his world," but instead mentioned that Kevin Owens would be the one to do so. The hardcore fans immediately noticed the reference, and it became a hot topic.
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Most fans were hyped up for the possibility of the return happening. The words in the promo had only been said by The Straight Edge Superstar, so this could not be a reference to something else. This has seemingly increased the anticipation, even more so, for a return at the Survivor Series 2023 Premium Live Event.
Others believed that this could simply be Corey Graves trolling the fans again. One fan replied to them, wondering why there was a need to troll, as they could have just minded their business.
Check out some of the fan reactions below:
![Fan reactions to the CM Punk reference.](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/4a63e-17008887767410-1920.jpg 1920w)
CM Punk still has backstage heat in WWE
CM Punk's first stint with WWE did not end on the best of terms, as he abruptly left the promotion in 2014.
Following that time, there have still been some people within the promotion who are still not on good terms with him.
Fightful Select reported that there was indeed still plenty of heat towards Punk within the company, but at a point, there was optimism after the Chicago native was backstage for an episode of RAW back in April. He had shaken hands and talked to a lot of people he previously worked with.
However, following the events that led to his release from AEW, that optimism has faded away.
Fans will simply have to tune in for Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 to find out if he will actually make a return or whether this was a ruse.
Do you think CM Punk will return? Let us know in the comments section below.