Since returning to WWE in November at the Survivor Series Premium Live Event, CM Punk has yet to wrestle in a televised match. That all changes when he steps into the 30-man Royal Rumble on January 27 in Tampa, Florida, vying for an opportunity to head to WrestleMania 40. On Punk’s road to WrestleMania, he will make a pitstop in Perth for Elimination Chamber, his first time in Australia in almost 11 years, Fox Sports Australia reports.
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Although Punk has yet to step in a ring for his first real feud (he’s had two non-televised matches against Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio), he has had a few nose-to-nose encounters with the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre on WWE Raw. When he officially declared himself part of the Raw brand, Rollins welcomed him to “Monday Night Rollins” and let him know exactly how he feels about his return to the company. Punk teased him about winning the Royal Rumble and potentially coming after him and his championship.
As for McIntyre, they had a brief encounter in December backstage but things got personal on the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw. McIntyre was talking about his new direction and he took shots at Punk by stating that maybe he should take nine years off and return as a hero. Punk’s “Cult of Personality” blared through the arena, McIntyre made it clear his intentions are to win the Royal Rumble. That would take that opportunity away from Punk, something he returned for as he never got a WrestleMania main event in his initial run with WWE. Punk returned with a threat of his own. If McIntyre is still in the ring by the end of the match, he will make him the final elimination of the night.
Punk recently revealed that returning to WWE was a “completely different animal” in comparison to his return to wrestling in 2021. “I didn’t know how things would go. It’s not like I was off TV for a super long time, but you still, as a performer, you’re like, ‘Is anyone going to remember me?’ I was legit in an arena that had not been kind to me throughout my career,” he said. “My first UFC fight was in that building [Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse]. It was also hugely cathartic because I’m very much a guy who, if you ask me if I’m ready, I’m going to tell you ‘no’ because part of the juice is being in front of a live crowd. I’m the old guy on the ice now. I can stretch and warm up and I’m not going to be ready until I’m on the ice, the whistle blows, and the puck drops. Now, I’m ready. I need to be in front of the crowd and I need to see the red light on the camera and it’s like, ‘Okay, now, it’s go time.’”
Confirmed talent set to appear at Elimination Chamber includes Rollins, WWE United States Champion Logan Paul, WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, Grayson Waller, LA Knight and Cody Rhodes. According to WrestleTix, over 41,000 tickets have been sold for the event which will take place at the Optus Stadium. Tickets are still available to purchase through Ticketmaster.
