Highlights
- Cody Rhodes revealing Randy Orton as the fifth member of his Survivor Series WarGames team was intentional to shift focus and quell rumors about CM Punk's return.
- Despite persistent rumors, WWE has no plans to bring CM Punk back and is taking measures to limit speculation.
- WWE's emphasis on Randy Orton's return and downplaying the absence of CM Punk is a strategic move to prevent the audience from hijacking the show and to highlight a celebrated superstar like Orton.
Cody Rhodes dropping news that Randy Orton was the fifth member of his Survivor Series WarGames team was no accident. Not only did it rile up the live crowd, but it shifted the focus of rumors heading into the premium live event, something WWE was keen to do.
With talk that Survivor Series would be the ideal place to bring CM Punk back to the company, a new report by Fightful Select maintains that WWEhas not changed their stance on bringing Punk back -- they don't want to do it. Despite persistent rumors since Punk's release from AEW, WWE reportedly has no plans for his return and now the company has taken measures to quell speculation. If people are talking about Orton, they aren't emphasizing the unfortunate news (for some) that Punk is not in talks with WWE.
Even still, some fans believe this is a smokescreen and that Orton not being present on Raw is the first hint that WWE may have something more surprising planned. That's unlikely. The recent announcement of Randy Orton's return, after a year and a half hiatus due to a back injury, seems to affirm WWE's position. WWE wouldn't let Cody Rhodes drop an Orton return on the go-home episode of Raw if he wasn't coming. The news that Orton join the WarGames team alongside Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn to face The Judgment Day and Drew McIntyre is too big. Orton, a 14-time world champion, is a celebrated figure in WWE history, offering excitement in his comeback.
Of course, Orton being in WarGames has only led to fans now wondering if Shinsuke Nakamura's constant hints about a match with a mystery opponent is a Punk tease.
WWE Trying To Limit The LetDown
While Punk's absence may disappoint fans hoping for a hometown surprise, the focus shifts to Orton's highly anticipated return. WWE's decision to emphasize Orton's comeback should keep the live crowd in check (at least a little). There are bound to be CM Punk chants no matter what.
All that said, if WWE can shine a spotlight on a decorated Superstar like Orton, rather than focusing on the lack of potential Punk return, they have a good chance to avoid the audience hijacking the show. Any fans who can't enjoy Orton's triumphant return to the WWE ring should be embarrassed that they spent too much time worried about Punk -- something that was likely a long shot to begin with.
