14-time World Champion breaks character to welcome CM Punk back to WWE

A long-time WWE wrestler temporarily abandoned his on-screen persona to extend a warm welcome to CM Punk upon his return to the company. The much-discussed star made his comeback at Survivor Series 2023 following his departure from All Elite Wrestling in September of the same year. Joining Punk in his return on the same night was fellow superstar Randy Orton.

Last Monday night, at Allstate Arena in Chicago, the 45-year-old Punk made an appearance on WWE RAW. The crowd gave him a thunderous ovation, and it was announced that he would be serving as the special guest commentator for the WrestleMania XL World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.

Despite spending over a year on the sidelines due to a back injury, the 14-time World Champion made a triumphant return to the company at Survivor Series 2023. Currently, Orton is set to take on Kevin Owens and Logan Paul in a highly anticipated match for the United States Championship. In a recent video on WWE’s official YouTube channel, Orton expressed his joy at having the veteran, Punk, back in the ring as they rewatched their legendary bout at WrestleMania XXVII.

“This would have been like last summer or last fall, when I knew for sure that you were leaving. I legitimately was like, ‘Oh f***, he needs to come back. He needs to come back. This is where you belong, and I think you re-iterated that, you were like, ‘Yeah, you are right, I need to come home’. And I am glad you did dude, yeah. Love you man, give me a hug,”said Randy Orton. [From 00:09 – 00:34]

Former WWE Champion praises CM Punk’s powerful promo on RAW

Last week, CM Punk was featured on WWE RAW in Chicago where he delivered an impressive promo with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, building anticipation for WrestleMania.

Despite tearing his right tricep during the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, Punk has managed to keep his rivalries with McIntyre and Rollins alive while recovering from his injury.

Long praised the segment, stating that it was exceptional and highlighted that the trio of superstars appeared at ease during the promo.

“That was just outstanding,”Long said. “That was well written, and it didn’t take a lot to write it because I could see that some of it was not written. Some of it was actually real. Those promos were outstanding. Everybody was on time. There’s certainly a change there, and the change looks good. You can see in the guys like Punk, Drew, and them, when they were cutting their promos, they were so comfortable.”[From 06:02 – 06:29]

You can view Long’s remarks in the video provided below:

Despite not participating in last year’s WrestleMania, Orton is determined to make a comeback and claim the United States Championship in Philadelphia. It will be intriguing to witness if The Viper can emerge victorious at The Show of Shows this weekend.