Then and Now: How did Triple H elevate the WWE game with CM Punk and others in the past decade? Revisiting placement of major names

Triple H brought CM Punk back in WWE after a decade. The Straight Edge Superstar made his shocking return at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023. The Game also booked Randy Orton for his epic return at the November 25 Premium Live Event.

A post featuring 2013 and 2023 renders of Triple H, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins has gone viral on Twitter. All five superstars have come a long way.

Let us recap what they were doing in 2013.

Back in 2013, Hunter was an on-screen authority figure and occasional wrestler. Orton spent the latter half of the time as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Punk was on the verge of leaving WWE. Rhodes and Rollins were feuding with each other over the tag team titles.

Ten years later, all four men are working under the real-life Paul Levesque. WWE’s head booker retired from active in-ring competition in the aftermath of a health scare. Rhodes left WWE, reinvented himself on the independent circuit, co-founded AEW, and found his way back in 2022.

Orton went on to win the Royal Rumble for the second time, became a 14-time World Champion, stayed away from the ring for 18 months to heal his back, and returned looking bigger than ever. CM Punk became AEW’s biggest signing, won the world title twice, was fired from the promotion, and now he’s back in WWE.

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Is Triple H working for a dream match involving CM Punk and a WWE legend?

Bringing back CM Punk is being hailed as the biggest success of Triple H thus far. The Game posted a picture of him and his former opponent, CM Punk, after the latter’s epic return at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 in Chicago.

According to Fightful Select, many within WWE are optimistic about a match between CM Punk and Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Since Hunter makes all the booking decisions, one can assume he’s working to make the dream match happen.

Austin last wrestled inside a WWE ring at WrestleMania 38, when he defeated Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. Punk has yet to have his comeback match in WWE.