CM Punk's former rival to cost him the Royal Rumble and set up a blockbuster WrestleMania match? Exploring the possibility

CM Punk's 2024 goal is to show and remind everyone that he truly is the best in the world. However, it seems that the former world champion will need to go through several obstacles before the world once again acknowledges his capabilities.

It so happens that The Second City Saint's arrival wasn't well-received by Seth Rollins. During a segment with The Visionary, Punk's entry to the Royal Rumble Men's Match was made official.

However, it's not just WWE Superstars who pose a challenge for Punk. His former rival from AEW can also become a thorn in Punk's path to glory. As of writing, MJF is no longer listed on AEW's official roster page, indicating that his time with the wrestling promotion has ended.

With the way pro wrestlers have been signing up with WWE, MJF can be one of the names that will enter the men's match as a surprise entrant. Upon entering the ring, MJF can focus on Punk and cost him the victory at Royal Rumble.

Once CM Punk loses at the Royal Rumble, WWE can set up a match between Punk and MJF to finish their story at WrestleMania. It'll be a blockbuster bout since not only did the pro-wrestlers jump ship, but so did the rivalry!

However, the chances of this scenario working out to perfection are bleak. Even though MJF has been removed from AEW's roster, it's unknown if he has actually left the company. WWE had pulled off similar work when the company moved Jey Uso to the alumni section of the website after the former Bloodline member 'quit' on live TV. Currently, Uso is back on the current superstars section of WWE's website. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the former AEW World Champion.

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Vince Russo explains why CM Punk's dream match should not happen at WrestleMania 40

There are several opponents that Punk can go up against at WrestleMania 40. Some of the popular names doing the rounds are Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Roman Reigns, among others. However, there is another dream match that fans would love to see: CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin.

While the idea of this match is tempting, Vince Russo explained why he wouldn't want to watch it at The Show of Shows.

"Ah, man! No. Bro, I wanna remember these guys for who they are man. You know what I'm saying? You know when sports figures retire, they retire, you know once in a blue moon you'll see somebody come back, a blue moon but, once they retire, they retire because their better days are behind them. You know I wanna remember these guys the way I saw them in their prime man, that's me, that's just me man."

CM Punk's first match after returning to WWE was against Dominik Mysterio at the WWE Live show at Madison Square Garden on December 26, 2023, where The Second City Saint emerged victorious.