Punk’s last appearance came on the Raw after WrestleMania 42, where he shared a tense face-to-face confrontation with Cody Rhodes. Since then, the former world champion has not appeared on WWE programming, leading to widespread speculation among fans.
According to a recent report from False Finish, Punk’s absence is reportedly not injury-related. Instead, sources claim his planned schedule and creative direction were altered following several major roster changes within WWE.
The report alleges that WWE’s decision to move Gunther to SmackDown and bring Jacob Fatu to Raw for a storyline involving Roman Reigns led to adjustments in Punk’s creative plans.
As a result, Punk is reportedly waiting for a new storyline direction before returning to television.
It’s important to note that these reports remain unconfirmed by WWE, and the company has not publicly commented on Punk’s status.
Alternate WrestleMania 42 Plans Revealed
Additional details regarding Punk’s WrestleMania 42 main event have also surfaced.
According to veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE reportedly discussed an alternate scenario in which Punk would have defeated Roman Reigns during their WrestleMania showdown.
Under that proposed plan, Punk would have captured the championship before dropping it back to Reigns at Backlash, allowing both stars to remain protected creatively.
Ultimately, WWE chose a different direction, with Roman Reigns emerging victorious on the grand stage.
The match itself was highly praised, with Meltzer awarding the contest a five-star rating. The accolade marked Punk’s fourth career five-star match and the first such rating for Reigns.
For now, fans continue to wait for Punk’s next appearance, but if the latest reports are accurate, his return may simply be a matter of WWE finalizing its next creative direction.
