Bad Blood is the most important night of CM Punk's second WWE run, but not because of his match
WWE Bad Blood 2024 could be the most important night for CM Punk's second WWE run. The Second City Saint will go one-on-one against Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell.
The intensity of this rivalry is well-known to all. The two have entertained the masses with their back and forth. We're gearing up for their third showdown in their feud, which was the center of attention on Monday Night RAW. Even though it's a big deal, their match is set to kick off the Bad Blood PLE.
It’s hard to say exactly why they are opening the show, but one possibility could be WWE Content Officer Triple H trying to gauge how the Chicago native handles the pressure by having him kick off the show. He might be curious to see Punk’s reaction backstage after not being in the main event. The higher-ups might also watch how he responds during the post-PLE press conference.
So the question lies, why would Triple H want to do that? The answer is pretty straightforward. The Voice of the Voiceless walked away from WWE in 2014, right after the Royal Rumble. His unexpected exit sparked a ton of rumors among wrestling fans and people in the industry. But it wasn't until nearly a year later, in November 2014, that fans finally got to hear Punk share his reasons for leaving WWE in a podcast.
He mentioned that a bunch of reasons led him to quit the company. This included the growing creative frustrations during his 434-day WWE Championship run, not getting a chance to headline a WrestleMania, dealing with injuries, and his declining mental health at that point.
CM Punk wrestling Triple H in 2014 instead of main-eventing WrestleMania was a big reason
The former WWE champion leaving WWE was largely due to his issues with Triple H. CM Punk was supposed to face Triple H at WrestleMania 30, but he had bigger dreams. He wanted to be in the main event.
The issues with Triple H allegedly started back in 2011, Punk was gaining serious traction in the main event scene, which led to that legendary pipe bomb moment that changed everything for him. During that worked shoot, Punk let loose about his frustrations with the company, throwing shade at Triple H by calling him Vince McMahon's doofus son-in-law.
They even got into a feud that year, which Triple H ended up winning even though Punk was red hot at the time and should have gone over. Now, as we look ahead to 2024, it appears that both The Game and Punk have moved past their contentious history and have established a friendly rapport.
CM Punk also had issues with Roman Reigns
CM Punk is said to have played a big role in putting The Shield together. However, he wasn't thrilled when WWE began heavily promoting Roman Reigns as their main star. Punk disagreed with that direction and voiced his concerns, which created a lot of friction between him and the company.
When The Shield split up, The Original Tribal Chief stepped up as the group's main guy. This was a big move to turn Reigns into one of the top babyfaces in the company. Management asked Punk to help elevate him. After Punk left WWE, he revealed that the higher-ups were determined to make Reigns look strong, which didn’t sit well with him. The revelation led to the erstwhile Big Dog getting booed all over the globe.
The former Undisputed WWE Champion is the biggest attraction in 2024, and they haven't run into each other since CM Punk made his return to WWE last November at Survivor Series.
CM Punk hasn't been the same ever since his return to WWE
Since coming back, The Straight Edge Superstar has patched things up with a lot of people, and his dynamic with The Cerebral Assassin has shifted. Triple H has shared that he’s enjoying working with Punk, and Punk has given props to the CCO for his leadership. They’ve both moved past their differences and are now getting along well.
Punk is still a major draw in WWE, and they see him as a valuable asset. His rivalry with Drew McIntyre has stood out as one of the top storylines. That said, how CM Punk behaves after his match at Bad Blood will be key, and it'll be fascinating to see how he navigates things from here, especially since he wasn't in the main event despite the iconic nature of their feud.