"Missed opportunity" - WWE Universe react to 51-year-old star's return to RAW after 91 days with CM Punk

CM Punk is scheduled to return on WWE RAW next week in Chicago inside the Allstate Arena. The Second City Saint is also advertised for the WrestleMania XL go-home edition of the flagship show at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York. As is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who was last seen on the red brand on the Day 1 edition in January.

The two men share a rich history in the sports entertainment giant. Punk's 434-day reign as WWE Champion culminated at the hands of The Rock at Royal Rumble 11 years ago, a decision that was met with a considerable amount of negative reactions from fans.

After WWE announced The Rock's appearance on Monday Night RAW for the April 1st episode, fans noted how his return could have instead happened next week, as the show will be hosted from Punk's hometown.

Check out some fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Considering it is the final episode of RAW ahead of WrestleMania XL, it's safe to assume that the top stars of the flagship show, such as Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Jey Uso, among others, will be there. It will be an interesting show with the addition of CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and The Rock.

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Jinder Mahal reveals how The Rock reacted backstage following WWE RAW: Day 1

The Rock made a one-off appearance on the first RAW of 2024 before returning full-time on the Road To WrestleMania XL in February. On the January 1 episode, he confronted Jinder Mahal and tossed the former WWE Champion out of the ring before cutting a promo about going after the "Head of the Table" Roman Reigns.

During an interview with Gorilla Position last month, Jinder Mahal revealed that The Great One personally came up to him and lauded him for his performance. Furthermore, The Maharaja teased a babyface turn owing to the positive feedback from fans for his work with the legendary Attitude Era star:

"Maybe Modern Day Maharaja as a babyface? Maybe? I don't know (laughs). Yeah, I'm excited, overall, a very positive response, not only from the fans but also from the WWE, all the writers. All the people in the back and The Rock himself gave me some really nice praises, so yeah, it was awesome."

Mahal's exceptional work was rewarded with a brief program with World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, which culminated in a title contest on the January 15 episode of RAW.