CM Punk is just what Seth Rollins needs.
Lost in the buzz surrounding the historic Punk return is how his presence will actually boost the Superstars he works with, too.
Rollins might just receive the biggest boost of all—the upshot is breaking the man formerly known as the Architect out of a neverending loop of disinterest and nitpicking while potentially creating one of the best feuds of his prestigious career.
The harsh reality on Rollins is that he’s been in purgatory for a long time now. That might sound strange to say about arguably the best in-ring talent on the planet and a current brand-dominating champion.
But he’s been stuck in a vicious loop over the past few years, including the fan revolt over his feud with Bray Wyatt’s The Fiend persona all the way up to current times. After winning fans back over again, they’ve soured on his current title reign in large part because he’s been taking down fan favorites like Shinsuke Nakamura who have felt due to win the big one.
For some, one could even argue Roman Reigns’ current run is more entertaining simply because Rollins is so overexposed and not in any real danger to lose a feud.
It’s a tale as old as time in pro wrestling, though—a well-laid story with engaging characters makes things like overexposure irrelevant.
And what a story Rollins vs. Punk is.
They know it, too. That’s why Rollins was working his reaction so hard at Survivor Series for all the cameras to see. He’s been asking for the match as far back as 2019 when Punk was on Fox’s talking-heads show. He made sure to call him a “cancer” in an interview with Nick Hausman of Wrestling Inc. Their connections extend all the way back to the formation of The Shield and, really, even before that point.
Something else that has always worked very well? The hero defending his home that nobody believes until it’s too late against the corporate, money-hungry heel.
Because that sure feels like what Punk is going for already.
Just look at his return promo:
This has been panned in some circles of the internet as filler, too short, as bland as it gets, especially with how he could have blurred lines and mentioned other promotions, etc.
But look at the end and his line about being back in WWE to make money. An ode to Scott Hall, of course, but he made sure the mic at his side picked it up for a reason.
More than anything, what works is meaningful character development, and that’s been a big negative on Rollins for a long time now. He’s Seth Freakin’ Rollins, and he’s got the Jokerish laugh and the sing-a-long tune and fancy attire but…right.
If Rollins and Punk go blurred-lines on this and the former tries to warn fans about who Punk really is, what he’s really about right now, even while feeding some AEW-centric hints for the always-online fans, it’s going to be fantastic.
And it’s going to be even better if, say, Punk ends up taking his title and fully embracing that villain role, further rallying fans around the then-underdog Rollins with something to chase.
We can talk for days and days about Punk feuds. The all-timer of a matchup with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin could be a reality now. He’s got the connection with Dominik Mysterio. There’s a lot of blurred-line stuff with Reigns, plus Paul Heyman. He and Cody Rhodes surely have a few things to chat about, too. It goes on and on.
But pretty much none of them are more appealing than Rollins. Talk about a back-and-forth with deep-reaching connections and real-life implications that could make those offseason-feeling winter months must-see material each and every week. With the way WWE has implemented long-form storytelling so well in the Triple H era already, it’s fair to be confident it gets executed well.
Truly, one couldn’t draw up a better way to rip Rollins out of this never-ending loop he’s been stuck in than with a Punk feud. It’s maybe the only way to get him out of the formulaic WWE babyface champion rut that is a death sentence for fan interest and support.
So much so, it could just culminate in both guys getting the main event at WrestleMania they’ve always wanted. If, by then, Punk has embraced the heel and Rollins is the beloved underdog, even better. If not, it’s still an all-timer of a card-topper on a Night 1.
It’s still a little weird to think these what if conversations are now reality. But all involved have to see it—Rollins vs. Punk would be pro wrestling at its absolute very best for so many reasons, with the previously unobtainable bonus of giving Rollins a parachute out of purgatory.
