10 Fascinating WWE Backstage Facts About CM Punk
3. He Was Supposed To Win The 2008 Royal Rumble Match
Per the man himself, 2008's Royal Rumble was supposed to be his, though this apparent change of plans might be one worth digging a little deeper into.
The revelation emerged during conversation about the match between Punk and WWE Backstage Renee Young in early-2020. While promoting a screening of the contest as part of that year's Rumble coverage, Punk chipped in to say;
“I was supposed to win! I was supposed to win that Royal Rumble, then John Cena comes back after three months from a torn pec. Thanks a lot, John.”
The second part was accurate of course. John Cena's shock Madison Square Garden return from the pectoral injury remains one of the pay-per-view's finest moments and indeed one of WWE's best ever surprise returns. The rest feels like a bit of a stretch. Cena ended up in a final three alongside Batista and Triple H, with the 'Straight Edge Superstar' eating an elimination 17 spots from the end. It could have been a throwaway joke, a case of notoriously bad wrestler memory or Punk getting elements of his own history mixed up. Or maybe it was true.
Consider this - though Cena (and ultimately Triple H as well anyway) both went to WrestleMania to fight Randy Orton for the richest prize, Punk got his golden opportunity on that show too. He won Money In The Bank there, and cashed in on Edge months later to score his first top title in the company. Whether the Rumble was to set the wheels in motion for his big night or not, the company did at least see gold in his near future.