CM Punk’s quest to reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship ended in defeat at Clash in Paris after Becky Lynch interfered on behalf of her husband, Seth Rollins. The interference, a low blow to Punk, allowed Rollins to capitalize with a Stomp and secure the victory. Following the grueling main event, a visibly exhausted Punk collapsed to the floor outside the ring after the show went off the air.
The main event at the Paris La Défense Arena was a Fatal 4-Way match that also included LA Knight and Jey Uso. The intense rivalry between Punk and Rollins was reignited in August at SummerSlam, when Punk captured the championship only for Rollins, moments later, to successfully cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
The conclusion of the match saw a masked individual hit Punk with a low blow as he was setting Rollins up for the Go to Sleep. The assailant was revealed to be Becky Lynch, who had successfully defended her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Nikki Bella earlier in the night. The assist enabled Rollins to recover and hit the Stomp for the pinfall victory.
Lynch’s involvement has quickly led to fan speculation about a potential return for CM Punk’s wife, AJ Lee, to even the odds. Lee has not competed in a WWE ring since her retirement in 2015.
The controversial ending to the title match capped off a tense weekend for Punk. Prior to the event, he had taken to his Instagram Story to post a message pleading with fans, “Stop touching strangers.” The post reportedly came after an incident where a fan in Paris grabbed him, prompting Punk to push the individual away.