CM Punk shocked the wrestling world when he made a surprise return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 at Chicago. Punk’s return to WWE after a decade has been the talking point in the wrestling world for the past 2 weeks.
One of the wrestlers who was perplexed by CM Punk’s WWE comeback was the former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, who had a history with Punk in the earlier days of his career. He recently gave his opinion on Punk’s return to WWE and added some valuable advice to Punk’ journey ahead.
CM Punk’s WWE comeback leaves Bobby Lashley perplexed
CM Punk, one of the most popular and controversial wrestlers of all time, made a shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, after a nine-year absence. The wrestling world and beyond were stunned and thrilled by his comeback, which was kept as a secret until the last moment.
Superstars from WWE, AEW and UFC also reacted to Punk’s return, either congratulating him, welcoming him back, or challenging him. Some of his former rivals, such as John Cena, Randy Orton, and Daniel Bryan, expressed their respect and excitement for Punk.
On his recent interview with Steve Fall, Bobby Lashley said, “I really don’t know, to be honest with you. I was actually leaving [WWE in 2008] around the time when Punk was really starting to pick up a little steam. I mean, he was there, but he really didn’t do anything at that time. And I know he had a big impact in WWE in his time there”.
Lashley added, “For integrity purposes, I understand he has a big name, he’s coming back. And he’s gonna do some big numbers, but I hope they make him kind of work for some of the stuff. I hope he’s not one of the people that ‘oh okay, he comes back, gonna win the Rumble, we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do that”.
Lashley said that he wants WWE to make Punk work for things and prove his loyalty, instead of giving him a push right away. He also said that some superstars were against Punk’s return, and that he would be happy to face him in the ring.
Trajectory of CM Punk’s top rivalries
CM Punk, the self-proclaimed “Best in the World”, had a remarkable WWE career that spanned from 2006 to 2014. During that time, he had some of the most memorable and intense rivalries with some of the biggest names in the industry such as John Cena, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan.
Punk’s most important and iconic rivalry was with John Cena. It started in 2011, when Punk delivered his infamous “pipe bomb” promo, where he criticized WWE and announced his intention to leave the company with the WWE Championship. He faced Cena at Money in the Bank in his hometown of Chicago, and defeated him in a classic match, leaving WWE with the title.
Punk and Bryan also had a series of matches for the title, with AJ Lee, who was Punk’s girlfriend at the time, getting involved in the storyline. Their feud culminated in a triple threat match at No Way Out, where Punk defeated Bryan and Kane to retain his title.
Punk is currently favored to make a feud with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Rollins is one of the top stars in WWE, and he has a similar background and style to Punk. They could clash over their claims to be the best in the world or have a personal feud over their different ideologies and attitudes.
