Just one day before his World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at Clash in Paris, CM Punk took to social media to issue a public warning regarding his personal boundaries. In a concise Instagram story, he wrote, “Stop touching strangers. PLEASE.”
The post suggests that Punk may have had an unwelcome physical encounter while in Paris for tomorrow’s Premium Live Event. This is not the first instance where the former WWE Champion has had to publicly remind people to respect his personal space.
This plea for privacy comes during a particularly volatile period for Punk. Tomorrow, on August 31, he will challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match that also includes LA Knight and Jey Uso. The match format dictates that Rollins could lose the title without being pinned or submitted.
The championship contest is layered with animosity, particularly stemming from SummerSlam earlier this month. At that event, Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on a newly-crowned Punk, who had just won the title from Gunther. Rollins had also faked a knee injury to gain an advantage, adding further tension to their rivalry.
The build-up to Clash in Paris has seen Punk targeted from multiple angles. On the August 25 episode of RAW, a brief alliance fell apart when Jey Uso delivered superkicks to both Punk and LA Knight. Days later, at a WWE Live Event in Manchester, England, NXT’s Roxanne Perez interfered in a tag team match to hit Punk with her Pop Rox finisher.
Clash in Paris will air live from the Paris La Défense Arena, which features a large Eiffel Tower replica as part of its entrance stage. The show will be the final WWE main roster Premium Live Event to stream on Peacock before the company’s content moves to a new service in September.