8 Worst Improvised Moments That Made It To WWE TV

1. That CM Punk Vs. Drew McIntyre Vs. Seth Rollins Mess

Million Dollar Mania
WWE

CM Punk and Seth Rollins have been feuding for a long time, haven’t they? Seems to undermine the idea that they can’t stand one another in real life, the whole “have agreed to collaborate between November 2023 and September 2025” thing.

Seth hated the idea that CM Punk returned at Survivor Series: WarGames. He likes WWE to be a stable place where everybody agrees to do what they’re told. What a great pro wrestling character. Seth, Punk, and Drew McIntyre became intertwined ahead of WrestleMania 40. Seth and Punk hated each other; Drew injured Punk at the 2024 Royal Rumble; Seth and Drew were set for a World title match at the show itself. 

This led to a three-way talking segment on the March 25 Raw. It was pretty bonkers, by WWE’s staid standards. It could be described as one of the worst and the best modern improvised WWE moments. 

Best, because it was thrilling, and volatile, and while these worked-shoot deals can often scan as edgy and counterproductive, a crackle of competitive energy powered it. Punk in particular was on fire. He knew he had to make up for missing WrestleMania. His disdain towards Drew’s lines was incredible. Drew said “You complete me”. It was a dated reference (‘Jerry Maguire’, 1996), something that would have been uttered in Vince McMahon’s WWE, and Punk’s soul-destroyed eye-roll was awesome. 

Worst, because of the hypocritical Vince McMahon reference. Punk was saying his usual stuff, that he makes other people special and interesting, claiming that Drew only got to where he was because some “paragon of virtue” (Vince) put him there. Drew couldn’t say anything back. He could only wryly acknowledge the line and his lack of counter to it. 

Drew could have mentioned that Punk returned to WWE when Vince was actually still there, and his overseeing creative wasn’t totally unlikely.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!