CM Punk tore his triceps Saturday night in the men’s Royal Rumble match, ending any chance he will main-event WrestleMania 40 and putting him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
He announced the injury Monday on WWE Raw:
WWE @WWE
Get well soon, CM Punk. ❤️#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/HCFFZVPwuI
The injury not only ended his hopes of appearing at ‘Mania in Philadelphia on April 6-7, but it also opened up the question: Will Punk ever main-event The Showcase of the Immortals?
The answer is not as obvious as it may seem.
One would be remiss not to take into account Punk’s recent run of injuries.
First, he suffered a fractured foot that required “three plates and 16 screws” after performing a stage dive off the entrance ramp during a June 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite.
That injury put him out of action for nearly two months and hampered his run as AEW world champion.
Shortly after his return to the ring with All Elite Wrestling, Punk suffered a torn left triceps during an All Out clash with Jon Moxley in September 2022.
Now, during his first televised match since returning to WWE, he suffered a torn right triceps that will keep him out of action and prevent him from achieving one of the bucket-list items he still has in his line of work.
Punk mentioned in his address to the fans Monday night that he has never believed in luck but that he feels a bit unlucky—and it’s not difficult to see why. The question now is whether his run of bad luck will ultimately cost him his goal of headlining wrestling’s most prestigious event.
From a creative perspective, one could understand how Triple H or any member of the WWE creative team would be hesitant to book a major story or match around him upon his return. It takes considerable pre-planning to create many of the long-term stories that The Game favors. Putting that energy and time into something that may not come to fruition can be frustrating and cause issues with other ongoing storylines.
That alone may prevent WWE from investing a coveted spot like the WrestleMania main event in Punk. It might also result in a more rushed approach to his creative, such as booking dream matches shortly after his return in hopes of maximizing his time and star power.
That star power, and his connection with fans, is what will ultimately dictate what happens with Punk’s WrestleMania aspirations.
The Real People’s Champion
Punk is among the biggest stars in professional wrestling, a needle mover beyond a T-shirt slogan. He draws attention to whatever he is doing and gets people talking. Love him or hate him, is buzz-worthy.
He also has an undeniable connection with fans.
Not only is he a rebel who has done everything in his career his way, but he also speaks from the heart in a way that endears him to the audience. You may not agree with what he is saying, but the way in which he tells stories and speaks with conviction engages the fans in a way only a few can.
The 45-year-old also made the trend of shoot promos cool, something we see replicated every week across the wrestling world.
Those are the same traits that Cody Rhodes possesses and have helped him become the undeniable babyface that he is.
WWE on TNT Sports @wweontnt
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk went bar for bar on the mic! 🎤 🔥
Who won? 🤔#WWERawpic.twitter.com/NA4jaHnnA3
There will always be a demand for that kind of Superstar and the fact that he has the rich history in WWE and the audience that he does only enhances it.
Punk will come back hotter than ever, thanks to impassioned promo he cut Monday night, and he has a ready-made feud with Drew McIntyre waiting for him.
From there, it would not be surprising to see him take on a reduced in-ring schedule in hopes of preserving him physically, but anyone who does not think one of the most over stars on the roster will have a shot at the WrestleMania main event in 2025 given the narrative that already exists and a fanbase that will not allow Triple H and WWE Creative to drum up anything less for him, is fooling themselves.
Barring another serious injury, he will main-event WrestleMania and cross that goal off a list of wrestling accomplishments that is getting smaller, thanks to what has already been a Hall of Fame career.
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