Which brand was CM Punk on before his WWE exit a decade ago? Predicting his choice next week

After making an appearance on WWE RAW following his sensational return after the Survivor Series, CM Punk is scheduled to return in the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown. The company has also announced the Best in the World for the December 11, 2023, edition of Monday Night RAW, where Punk might make a major decision about his status within the company.

For those unaware, Adam Pearce, on the recent edition of the Red brand, announced the return of CM Punk on RAW in next week's episode, which is set to take place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Pearce also confirmed that he intends to sign CM Punk to an exclusive contract with the Red brand.

However, before his WWE exit back in 2014, CM Punk appeared on both brands as there was no brand extension in the Stamford-based Promotion at that time. The first-ever brand extension came to an end on August 29, 2011. After this, until July 19, 2016, all the superstars were allowed to appear on both RAW and SmackDown without any hindrances.

The last time CM Punk appeared on WWE SmackDown was on the January 24, 2014, edition of the Friday nights. The Best in the World was involved in a promo segment with Kane and also showed up during the post-main event brawl between the 2014 Royal Rumble participants.

Talking about his brand choice selection, the likelihood of him signing with Monday Night RAW is surely higher than SmackDown as the blue brand already has Randy Orton.

Additionally, there are reports that the company might be heading towards a match between Punk and Rollins for next year's WrestleMania. This also seems to give a strong indication that the Voice of the Voiceless is involved in the red brand on the Road to WrestleMania 40.

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Shawn Michaels is happy after the return of CM Punk

The return of the multi-time World Champion garnered a huge ovation from fans around the globe. However, being a controversial star, it's possible that many backstage weren't too happy about his comeback to the Stamford-based promotion.

During the NXT Deadline media call, Shawn Michaels also shared his reaction to the arrival of the Voice of the Voiceless back in the company. The Heartbreak Kid revealed that business comes first for him despite all the personal issues and problems. He stated:

"Business is first. For me, I don't think it was that tough. I'm happy that it got done. We have always found that when you can go out on your own terms, it makes it easier. I'm very excited about it."

It will be interesting to see what the company has in store for CM Punk in the near future and how they will book him after his unreal return.