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CM Punk Confirms Injury & WWE WrestleMania Plans

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 30th January 2024

CM Punk returned to WWE with a WrestleMania main event in mind but those plans are now in ruin.

CM Punk shocked the world when he returned to WWE at Survivor Series after almost a decade away from the company. The move was even more stunning to some as it came less than three months after CM Punk was fired by AEW for his part in a backstage brawl with Jack Perry at All In.

Punk had his first televised match back in WWE ten years to the day after he infamously walked out of the company when he entered the men’s Royal Rumble. Punk scored the eliminations of Dominik Mysterio and Drew McIntyre as he made it to the final two. Ultimately, however, it was Cody Rhodes’ night and he dumped Punk over the top rope to win his second Rumble match in succession.

CM Punk Tears Triceps

Reports soon emerged that CM Punk had suffered a serious injury during the match that could keep him out of WrestleMania 40 altogether. Despite his loss in the Rumble, Punk was widely expected to clash with Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on the grandest stage of them all. Seth Rollins has suffered a knee injury but is still expected to be back in time for WrestleMania.

On Raw in Tampa, Florida CM Punk addressed fans as he confirmed he had torn his triceps and that for this year, WrestleMania was not on the cards for him but that there was always next year. He was soon interrupted by Drew McIntyre who took great delight in Punk’s downfall and vowed to find a way to the WrestleMania main event.

McIntyre then attacked Punk, targetting his injured arm before Sami Zayn made the save. In the main event of the night, McIntyre defeated Zayn in one-on-one action.

This is not Punk’s first serious injury in recent years. At All Out 2022, CM Punk tore his triceps during his match with Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. After that match, he was involved in a backstage brawl with The Elite that led to him being stripped of the title. Punk did not return to AEW until nine months later in June 2023.