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CM Punk competed in his first televised match in a decade at WWE Royal Rumble. He was the 27th entrant in the Men's Royal Rumble match but reportedly suffered a torn triceps during the match.
Punk's time in All Elite Wrestling was also hampered by injuries. He tore his triceps at All Out 2022 in his match against Jon Moxley and then brawled with The Elite following the match. The veteran returned to the company on the debut episode of Collision in June, only to be fired a couple of months later after a backstage altercation with Jack Perry ahead of All In 2023.
The controversial star returned to WWE and declared his intent to win the Royal Rumble match and headline WrestleMania, but it seems fate had other plans. Cody Rhodes eliminated CM Punk to win the Men's Royal Rumble match this past Saturday night and will battle Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40.
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Wrestling News asked fans who they would like to see named as CM Punk's potential replacement in the rumored World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins.
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There were several stars mentioned, but the name that popped up the most was Intercontinental Champion Gunther. The Ring General and Seth Rollins had a confrontation earlier this month on WWE RAW.
Bobby Lashley reacts to CM Punk's WWE return
Bobby Lashley is currently the leader of The Pride faction on WWE SmackDown alongside The Street Profits.
The All Mighty was in action in the Men's Royal Rumble match this past Saturday night but didn't last long before being eliminated by Karrion Kross. The Pride is currently involved in a rivalry with The Final Testament (Karrion Kross and The Authors of Pain) on the blue brand.
Speaking to Riju Dasgupta in an exclusive interview for Sportskeeda Wrestling, Bobby Lashley shared his reaction to Punk's return to the company. The veteran said that he doesn't know the controversial star very well and isn't a fan of drama.
"I was like, oh, that's cool. You know, I know CM Punk. I don't know him really well. I always make my opinion on someone based on my interaction with them and ever since I've known CM Punk, every time I've talked to him, I've always had positive conversation, everything like that. Nothing negative. What if he said something behind my back to someone else? I don't know about this. I don't know. I don't go into those kind of dramas." [1:21 – 1:56]
You can check out the full video below:
CM Punk's time in AEW was a huge letdown to many of his fans, as well as fans of the Jacksonville-based promotion who were hoping he would bring it to new heights. It will be interesting to see how the 45-year-old bounces back from his latest injury in the months ahead.
Who do you want to face Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE WrestleMania 40? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
