CM Punk Rumor Round-Up: WWE Unhappiness, WrestleMania Politics, Pay Cuts & More (WWE News)

What's really going on with CM Punk right now?

by Andrew Pollard
CM Punk
WWE

With CM Punk having been entirely absent from WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania 42, that's led to plenty of speculation over the status of the Second City Saint.

While some fans expected that Punk might take a little bit of time off after 'Mania, the Straight Edge Superstar played such talk down by not only teasing something with Cody Rhodes on that Raw, but by cutting a promo saying he wasn't going anywhere... only to have not been seen in over seven weeks by this point in time.

Social media being social media, there has been a whole host of rumours, as ever, about CM Punk lately, ranging from being injured, being creatively frustrated, being asked to take a pay cut, to politicking to win at WrestleMania 42, and to pretty much anything else you can think of.

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Shooting down such talk, the latest episode of WrestleVotes Live on Fightful Select noted that the reason for CM Punk's current absence is simply a case of a top star getting a "well-deserved rest", and that "he'll be back in no time, right at the top of the card." Punk was always scheduled to take some time off after WrestleMania 42, and that's what we're seeing.

As for when and how the Chicagoan returns to WWE TV remains to be seen, but the tease of Punk vs. Cody Rhodes is something that whetted the appetite of many a fan. The bigger question is, is that something that headlines one of SummerSlam's two nights, or is that something you'd prefer to hold off on for a WrestleMania match?

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For those who may have missed it, CM Punk was recently spotted in a gym looking absolutely jacked.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.