CM Punk considered a major draw for WWE following recent success
CM Punk continues to draw significant numbers for WWE less than one month into his much-anticipated comeback.
Many thought The Second City Saint would never return to WWE, but he did just that and shocked the world last month. Since then, the former AEW World Champion has helped with merchandise sales, for WWE and other companies, as well as TV ratings. Punk's presence is also reportedly boosting ticket sales after he was announced for upcoming events.
Punk's first WWE match since 2014 is scheduled to be against Dominik Mysterio on Tuesday, December 26th at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A new report from The Wrestling Observer noted that 5,000 extra tickets were seemingly sold for the event after MSG announced Punk vs. Mysterio. There are 14,884 tickets out for the New York City event as of this week.
The same match is also scheduled for the non-televised live event on Saturday, December 30th from The Forum in Inglewood, California. Around 2,800 extra tickets were reportedly sold after the Punk match was announced. As of this week, there are 11,957 tickets out for the Los Angeles-area event.
There was speculation on The Best In The World returning to the ring on TV first. However, Monday's Christmas Day RAW is supposedly a "Best Of" special, so there's no way the 45-year-old can wrestle a televised bout before next week's matches on the annual Holiday Tour.
CM Punk's WWE future shaping up to be a major one
In what may be a much bigger story than CM Punk actually returning to WWE, recent conversations from the backstage indicated the future Hall of Famer was looking to be with the company for the longterm.
The Straight Edge Superstar reportedly wants to be much more than an in-ring talent, and he was already going above and beyond to make this clear. Punk recently appeared at NXT Deadline, and then spent time with the brand at the Performance Center and TV tapings. He's been praised for his demeanor since returning, and this was also the case during his time at NXT.
Punk was purportedly said to be hopeful that he could one day replace Shawn Michaels in the latter's current role. The WWE Hall of Famer works as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, and the biggest part of the job has The Heartbreak Kid overseeing NXT. Michaels discussed Punk's return in the pre-Deadline media call.
"Business is first. For me, I don't think it was that tough. I'm happy that it got done. We have always found that when you can go out on your own terms, it makes it easier. I'm very excited about it," Michaels said.
Punk's WWE TV in-ring return is currently scheduled to be the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match on January 27th at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. It's still possible he is booked to wrestle on one of the four RAW episodes in January during the lead-up to The Rumble.
What do you think of CM Punk's WWE comeback so far? What is your prediction for Punk's WrestleMania 40 storyline and match? Let us know in the comments section below!