Just two days before his highly anticipated return to the ring alongside AJ Lee, CM Punk confirmed that he will be in Indianapolis for the final go-home edition of WWE SmackDown before Wrestlepalooza. Still, those expecting a last face-off with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch before Saturday’s match will have to wait.
In an interview on ESPN’s Pardon My Take, Punk clarified that while he will be in the building, his presence will be limited to backstage. “I will be in Indianapolis on Friday. You know, I’ll be around at SmackDown. I won’t be on screen, but I do things backstage. I help out,” Punk explained. He also referenced an unrelated legal issue, noting, “I can’t go to Riot Fest anyway because of legal reasons … It’s probably best I stop talking about it.”
Punk’s decision to stay off-camera coincides with his renewed embrace of life on the road with Lee. Her return on last week’s SmackDown set up her first match in nearly a decade, creating an added layer of significance for their reunion. Calling the opportunity to team with his wife a “dream come true,” Punk described his role with characteristic humor: the self-proclaimed “uber, nerdiest wife guy.”
“I’m having the time of my life,” he said. “I always like to say I try to spend as much time with my wife as I can, and I spend a lot of time with her. And it never feels like it’s enough. So having her be back in this environment with me at work is like a dream come true.”
Though currently positioned as a fan favorite, Punk acknowledged his reputation for thriving as a heel, while suggesting that those days may be behind him. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to be a bad guy again, ’cause it seems I’ve kind of leveled up,” he said, pointing to the combination of nostalgia and respect from the crowd that follows him now.
True to form, Punk also offered a candid take on the branding of Saturday’s show. Asked about Wrestlepalooza, he replied dryly: “That might actually be the first time I’ve said it. It’s a ridiculous name.”
Attention now turns to this weekend, when Punk and Lee face Rollins and Lynch. The match not only marks Lee’s long-awaited return to action but also adds another chapter to the long-running, deeply personal feud between Punk and Rollins, a rivalry that has anchored WWE programming for much of the past year.