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WWE Reportedly Bringing Back 5-Time World Heavyweight Champion “Relatively Soon”

By Monika Thapa • Published Jun 11, 2026 06:32 EDT
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Source: WWE.com

CM Punk has been absent from WWE for nearly two months now. The 5-Time World Heavyweight Champion was last seen on Raw after WrestleMania 42, where he had an in-ring segment with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Punk was originally planned to appear on the post-WrestleMania shows, but he was surprisingly pulled from them. He was also removed from European tour dates.

Sapp noted that Punk’s absence could be related to “some nagging injuries” or to the fact that he has a limited number of dates left on his contract.

Usually by now, where we’re going into, was it two months without CM Punk? It’s something that we would have heard about, or word would have made its way through WWE if so. But as things stand, he’s not been around for a while. I would assume, one, probably healing up some nagging injuries. Two, probably has, you know, a limited number of dates on his contract.”

CM Punk Set To Return To WWE Soon

WrestleVotes discredited Sapp’s report and claimed that Punk’s absence is because he is on a “well-deserved rest” after a marvelous World Heavyweight Championship run and main-eventing WrestleMania. The report noted that WWE having no plans for CM Punk is false, and he’ll be back in WWE in “no time.”

It’s a well-deserved rest for a guy who’s been going, outside of injury, for three straight years. Just main evented WrestleMania—get a little time off. He’ll be back in no time, right back at the top of the card. It is not true they have no plans for CM Punk.”

False Finish has also commented on the matter, assuring the fans that CM Punk will return to TV “relatively soon” as SummerSlam approaches.

Despite rumors going around social media yesterday, False Finish has learned that CM Punk will be back on TV relatively soon as WWE inches closer towards SummerSlam.