CM Punk

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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LA Knight Not Dealing with Injury

Confusion over LA Knight not attending a fan event in Florida led to an incorrect report that he was dealing with an injury.

The situation began on Dec. 17 when Luekens Wine & Spirits announced Knight would be unable to appear at a fan meet and greet after suffering an injury.

However, WWE told Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) that Knight was never booked for the event to begin with.

There has been nothing on television to suggest that Knight was being written off to cover for a legit injury. He did lose the United States title to Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, but he wrestled on the Dec. 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown when he beat Solo Sikoa by disqualification.

WWE taped the Dec. 20 episode of SmackDown that same night. LA Knight competed in a six-man tag on that show with Andrade and Apollo Crews to take on Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga.

It's safe to assume if some sort of injury occurred in that match it would have leaked with the spoilers for the show.

Despite the confusion, the good news is Knight remains healthy and still going strong despite losing the title. He figures to be a key player for WWE as the road to WrestleMania begins on Jan. 6 when Raw debuts on Netflix.

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WrestleMania Plans for CM Punk

While CM Punk is currently mired in a feud with Seth Rollins and a separate feud with Roman Reigns has been teased down the line, WWE is currently planning on having the Best in the World be in the title mix for the biggest show of 2025.

Per WrestleVotes (h/t Carrier), WWE has maintained throughout most of this year that it wants Punk "to be involved in a world title match" at WrestleMania 41.

The top programs for WrestleMania will certainly be locked in by the end of the Royal Rumble, but it's possible fans will have a good idea of what the key plans are after Raw's debut show on Netflix on Jan. 6.

WWE has already announced Punk vs. Rollins and Reigns vs. Sikoa for the ula fala in a Tribal Combat match for that show. If The Rock appears on that show to screw Reigns out of a win, then it's a safe bet the previously-teased match between Rock and Cody Rhodes probably won't happen until 2026 unless the Great One wants to work another big show like SummerSlam.

If Reigns is busy with The Rock, that leaves Rhodes without an obvious challenger for WrestleMania. (This is also assuming Rhodes wins his current feud with Kevin Owens to remain the undisputed WWE champion.)

WWE did hint at a potential feud between Punk and Rhodes leading up to the 2024 Royal Rumble. Rhodes won the match by last eliminating Punk. Those two could headline either night of WrestleMania if that's the direction WWE wants to go.

There is also the possibility that WWE wants to keep elevating Gunther, the current world heavyweight champion, by having him headline one night of WrestleMania by working with Punk.

All of this is to suggest there are no shortage of options for Punk to be in a prominent match at WrestleMania after he was unable to wrestle on this year's show due to a triceps injury suffered in the Rumble match.

Details About the Winged Eagle's Return

Despite being teased as a "one night only" thing for Saturday Night's Main Event, WWE appears to be making the winged eagle title a key part of the feud between Rhodes and Owens.

Per Andrew Zarian of Fightful and the Mat Men podcast, WWE could use old-school titles on television more often if the winged eagle leads to a spike in sales of replica belts.

Will add a bit more. Months ago I had a conversation regarding this with someone at WWE. I was told that merch sales (replica title belt sales) would be play a big part in making this a regular thing. https://t.co/pRMo8gxIDh

— Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) December 15, 2024

This should seem obvious because everything in wrestling is built around what makes money.

It seems as if Owens will keep the winged eagle title on television after putting Rhodes out of action following a post-match attack that happened after Saturday's show went off the air.

Owens stole the belt, declared himself to be the "true WWE champion" and announced he will have it with him during WWE's holiday tour.

BALLZ!!!

Now that I have your attention, I have great news for you all!

I am proud to officially announce that I will be competing in my first matches as your new, true WWE Champion on this year’s Holiday loop (that’s a term people in “the business” use that refers to a string… pic.twitter.com/Q39ZsVIQtI

— Kevin (@FightOwensFight) December 17, 2024

Rhodes retained the undisputed WWE title by defeating Owens in the main event on Saturday night, but it came after Owens got a visual pinfall on the champ with a stunner after the referee was knocked out of the ring.

All of this is clearly building to a rematch at some point, possibly at the Royal Rumble. It could also be on the Jan. 6 episode of Raw, but that show doesn't need another main-event match on the card given what has already been announced.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode below.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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CM Punk Trolls Seth Rollins

Not only are CM Punk and Seth Rollins going back and forth on television, but they are using social media to further escalate their feud.

After their promo segment on Monday's episode of Raw, Punk took a dig at Rollins by tagging him on Instagram with a picture of the Chicago Bears losing to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

CM PUNK TROLLING SETH ROLLINS RIGHT NOW

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/jXaNvwwr2t

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) December 17, 2024

It is an odd move for Punk, who is famously from Chicago, to troll someone he is feuding with by making fun of a Chicago-based sports team. Granted, he's more known for being a fan of the Cubs and Blackhawks, but still an odd move.

Perhaps Punk is bitter because Rollins is ranked among the top-10 celebrity Bears fans on the team's official website and he's not on the list.

Of course, Punk can't really brag about the Blackhawks right now since they are tied with the Nashville Predators for the fewest points in the Western Conference.

After the Punk-Rollins feud ends, whenever that may be, they may be able to come together to celebrate the Cubs' recent acquisition of Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

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Conflicting Information on Jade Cargill's Status

The status of Jade Cargill is apparently one of the best-kept secrets in WWE right now.

Following previous reports that Cargill's absence is related to her working on various outside projects and vacationing in the Bahamas, Bryan Alvarez said on Monday's episode of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Sam Palmer of Wrestling Inc.) she is dealing with a "serious" injury with no known timetable for her return.

Cargill has been off WWE television since being attacked by an unknown assailant on the Nov. 22 episode of SmackDown.

Since the attack went down, no one has any idea what is going on with Cargill. Dave Meltzer wrote as much in the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter released on Dec. 13 (h/t Julien D'Alessandro of Wrestling Inc).

According to Meltzer, people within WWE have said Cargill is legitimately injured but others have said she isn't and this is being done for storyline purposes.

One potential option is both things can be true. Cargill may have suffered a legitimate injury that WWE has turned into a storyline. It's notable that the women's tag titles haven't been vacated despite her absence.

In fact, Bianca Belair will be teaming with Naomi to defend the tag titles against Natalya and Candice LeRae on this week's episode of SmackDown. This could be done to suggest Naomi was the one who took out Cargill in order to take her spot on the team, starting a feud between the two whenever Jade does return.

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WWE Teasing Penta's Debut

Fans were given a teaser during Monday's episode of Raw featuring a zero with a flaming line through it.

Ø pic.twitter.com/ONDk5fmfx0

— WWE (@WWE) December 17, 2024

Per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com (h/t Aidan Gibbons of Cultaholic), the belief is that vignette is a tease for Penta El Zero Miedo's debut.

Even though Johnson didn't specify when Penta will show up, the end of the video strongly suggests he will be on the Jan. 6 episode of Raw that makes its debut on Netflix.

Penta is strongly believed to be heading to WWE after he was recently removed from AEW's roster page when his contract expired. There is also a feeling that Rey Fenix will also move to WWE when his contract expires, but he will likely have to remain in AEW well into 2025 as a result of time added to his deal due to injuries.

WWE is loading up the Raw debut on Netflix. Punk and Rollins will have their first match on the show. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa will battle for the Ula Fala and recognition as Tribal Chief in a Tribal Combat match. John Cena has already said he will be in Los Angeles for the show.

There is also speculation that The Rock could appear on the show.

Even though Penta's debut would certainly be overshadowed by Cena and/or The Rock, adding another premier athlete to the roster who can have great matches is a huge win for WWE as it looks to start 2025 on a strong note heading into the Royal Rumble on Feb. 1.

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Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode below.

WWE fans know that CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins is inevitable. The fun part about it is the how, the why and—most important of all—the build.

But the latest rumors? Not so fun.

The when of Punk vs. Rollins was always a forgone conclusion. WrestleMania, Night 1 main event. Easy. But according to Dr. Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda Wrestling, WWE has booked the match for Raw's debut on Netflix in early January.

Talk about a mistake.

Look, WWE wants to set the tone of the debut episode on the streaming platform as a sort of soft reset, almost like the start of a new season—fine. One can assume Netflix is pushing for something major like this on the debut episode, too.

But it would feel rushed. That leaves less than a month for the Superstars to actually build up to the match.

Sure, one could argue there are years and years of material and real-life blending that have already gone into the "feud" between the two. But the dedicated fans who know that background lore are going to watch regardless. The more casual fans who aren't as tuned in to the drama need a reason to care, get invested and return to the product weekly and that will require a proper build. One can also assume that December isn't exactly the month to do that with so many viewers caught up in real-life stuff around the holidays.

That's not to suggest the two couldn't pull it off. They're two of the greatest to ever do it, not just in the ring, but from an overall perspective. But that's part of it too—the payoff should be in a ring at 'Mania, and potentially with a title.

Right now, there just aren't a lot of ways to get a title involved on such short notice, especially without doing Gunther dirty. And while a trilogy of matches worked for Punk's feud with Drew McIntyre, it might not here. Remember, that feud had months and months of extra build while Punk wasn't cleared to wrestle due to injury.

Also, is there actually enough material to craft another trilogy? Bringing up McIntyre is important here because honestly, his dislike for Punk and how the feud and promos unfolded are similar to Rollins' reasons for a feud. Running the feud long could risk it feeling like a rehash of what has already been done.

Punk against Rollins, Part I should probably take place at 'Mania. On one hand, having them link up just once might not be popular across the entire fanbase. But on the other, it would add to the importance of the moment, especially on that Night 1 stage after the two have struggled for years to carve out their own 'Mania main events.

That long-sought-after 'Mania main event being the end of a three-match feud just might not hit the same. There's only so much they can do, only so many stipulations that wouldn't come off as silly as a feud-capper in a main event at 'Mania.

The only, only exception to this is if WWE has some masterful storytelling planned around Paul Heyman and the idea is to get Punk past Rollins for a 'Mania main event against Roman Reigns.

Fun as that sounds, though, there's one big problem—The Rock. It's pretty clear by now that WWE doesn't have anything firm or committed from the part-timer as he hovers around all things Reigns, Bloodline and Cody Rhodes. It would be a major shame to have him turn up late and plans change after WWE already used Punk vs. Rollins on Netflix, especially after last year's messy booking involving Rhodes.

In the end, this doesn't sound like the careful storytelling the Triple H era has established. Surely, there's no way WWE has hinted at this feud for more than a year just to blow it off in a rushed manner over a three-week build.

There are many, many other things the debut episode of Raw can do. Rock could make an appearance. Other big titles could be on the line. John Cena's retirement tour is kicking off. Plenty of returning legends and even surprise debuts and/or returns could happen.

To waste Punk vs. Rollins on short notice to drum up streaming numbers that don't need the help would be a misstep. In pro wrestling, predictable doesn't have to be bad and the two main eventing Night 1 or WrestleMania is about as good as it can get.

Saturday night, WWE's Survivor Series came and went, with the unsteady alliance between Roman Reigns and CM Punk pretty much going off without a hitch during a victory.

So now that turns the attention to one man and little detail—Paul Heyman.

That, and the little fact that Heyman now owes Punk quite a big favor. A favor which, befitting of the compelling Bloodline saga to this point, is a question mark to be answered at a later date.

We can cut through much of the noise, though, and identify the one big thing Heyman owes Punk rather easily: Reigns helping him take down Seth Rollins in their inevitable upcoming feud.

Think about it. Heyman didn't leave Reigns for Punk. He didn't betray the OTC. He didn't swing the result. And he can't reasonably up and get Punk a title shot at Gunther or Cody Rhodes right now. There are many appealing theories, but none appear ready to happen anytime soon.

What will the FAVOR be?!#SurvivorSeries #WarGames pic.twitter.com/iz4JuXrqri

— WWE (@WWE) December 1, 2024

But consider the timing. Between now and next year's WrestleMania, Punk will have multiple encounters with Rollins before a possible Mania main event.

And who would love nothing more than an excuse to tee off on Rollins? Reigns, who blames Seth for the breakup of The Shield to literally everything else, topped off with "costing" him his historic title reign.

Years and years of hatred—and the vibe is the same from Rollins' end. Think of how disgusted Rollins was to see two of his archenemies coming to terms like this:

Roman and CM Punk shake hands after winning WarGames 👀

(via @WWE) pic.twitter.com/yqUY0mhUwG

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) December 1, 2024

Think of how bitter Reigns was when it was even suggested he reach out to Rollins for help at WarGames, considering Bronson Reed was on the other side.

Heck, consider how standoffish and bitter Reigns was when this whole deal involving a favor was even struck:

Sure, Reigns still isn't going to love the lack of control he has over pretty much anything. He's on shaky alliances everywhere he turns and frankly, he's still evil—he had no qualms about using a low blow on Saturday night. Now, he doesn't even control his Wiseman like he once did and Heyman is making backroom deals he doesn't even understand yet.

But...a shot at Rollins is a shot at Rollins. And Reigns may be many things right now, but his character will back Punk if asked, considering he's on thin ice and in danger of being completely isolated again.

Heyman has plenty of reason to work in this manner, too. Frankly, he has more history with Punk and, speaking of history has a habit of jumping ship when he senses it might sink—as he did with Brock Lesnar many years ago.

For all the recent history there, Heyman has to feel some type of way by taking a beating at the hands of Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline while his Tribal Chief couldn't be bothered to help while he was put through a table. It wasn't that long ago Reigns couldn't even call Heyman's number anymore. Now he's back with an old friend, deals in hand?

There are so, so many moving parts here that it's too compelling to miss a beat right now. Sikoa's Bloodline will face a reckoning based on the beating he took before eating the pin.

Reigns can't even get a legitimate shot at earning back his Ula Fala right now while The Rock lurks in the background, too. There's also the Royal Rumble result to consider soon enough. The presence of Rollins hanging over all of this is a fitting piece of a long-running narrative that belongs, too.

Part of what has opened the door for this engrossing saga beyond the commitment to long-form storytelling is the gray area where the top guys walk now. Punk benefiting from Reigns attacking Rollins because he owes him a favor isn't exactly babyface behavior, but these two top Heyman guys aren't pretending to be that, anyway.

Some of the sheer brilliance is the flexibility this affords WWE. Last year, things got botched near the end when Rhodes simply gifted his Royal Rumble win to Rock. Then WWE backtracked and hoped it had left the minds of anyone who saw it. Now, crafted around real-life injuries and fan reactions, WWE can pull the favor card to really nail down a strong Mania card over two nights.

For now, fans are left with Heyman being the master plotter that he is once more, a fan-favorite Reigns at a serious disadvantage and a scheming Punk about to make Rollins' life hell, which will only endear the man formerly known as the Architect to fans more, too.

But the favor? All involved are too intercrossed with Rollins right now for him to not be the subject—or target—of it in some fashion.