CM Punk’s WWE status for this week’s RAW is now looking much clearer — and fans waiting for a surprise appearance probably shouldn’t get their hopes up.
According to PWInsider, Punk is not expected to appear on this week’s WWE RAW in Knoxville. The report also noted that Punk was not backstage at WWE Backlash, despite heavy speculation that he could be connected to Danhausen’s ongoing mystery partner storyline.
Punk’s name became one of the biggest rumors tied to the angle after Danhausen publicly teased several possible partners ahead of his planned match against The Miz and Kit Wilson. Fan speculation ran rampant even more after commentary hinted that Danhausen’s eventual partner would be someone who “loves money,” which many immediately connected to Punk.
But there were already signs that Punk was not actually involved in WWE’s plans. During a recent Self Made Session, Self Made Pro was directly asked whether Punk was scheduled for Backlash. The answer quickly shut down the speculation.
“At the moment, as far as I’m aware, he’s not scheduled to be on Backlash. No.”
Punk has not appeared on WWE television since the April 20 episode of RAW. At this point, Punk’s absence from both Backlash and the upcoming Raw episode makes it pretty clear WWE is keeping him off television for the time being — even as fans continue trying to connect him to every major surprise angle.
Bottom line — despite massive speculation leading into Backlash, CM Punk wasn’t backstage at the event and currently is not expected for Raw in Knoxville either, meaning fans may still have to wait longer for his next WWE appearance.