First, CM Punk has made his return to Monday Night Roar this past weekend. The future of CM Punk would be revealed when he made a dramatic surprise appearance at the end of Survivor Series in his hometown of Chicago. Fans would eagerly anticipate what he would say last night on Raw, and, if we’re honest, fans had to sit through less than spectacular three hours of television to get to the moment they were waiting for. But was it worth the wait?

First, let’s cover what the expectations were heading into the show. As Ebu of Wrestle Purist, somebody with direct links to the CM Punk camp and even Punk himself, would reveal that he was told the Second City Saint had big plans to take shots at AEW, the company that recently fired him. Ebu would say this on the Wrestle Purus podcast: “CM Punk is going to torch AEW tonight, say what he’s legally allowed to say.” AEW got wind of that and suggested talent should tweet to show the unity of AEW’s locker room. This appears to explain the sudden rush of public love for AEW from many members of the staff and roster. Although it seems they had little to worry about once the less than seven or so minute promo came around. We got something that was nowhere near as controversial, with Punk pretty much ignoring his past situation from his time at AEW.

Let’s set the scene by discussing Seth Rollins’ promo from earlier in the night, where he would take a shot at CM Punk. This cut off some CM Punk chants, and Seth would say, “Come on, is that all you’ve got, CM Punk fans? Come on, get it out of your system, because I tell you what, I don’t want to spend one more second, one more ounce of energy on that hypocrite.” Instead of talking about somebody that doesn’t matter at all, why don’t we talk about the thing that matters the most? Why don’t we talk about the title?” This line would be a continuation of the ongoing beef between Rollins and Punk that saw the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion react less than favorably towards the return at Survivor Series. This after previously calling him a “cancer” in interviews. The line on Raw appears to further suggest that the two men will be working together in an angle in the near future.

With that said, the lack of bite could be linked to the segment being cut short due to Randy Orton versus Dominik Mysterio in the main event going long, something that was reported by PW Insider earlier today. With there being some material that needed to be scrapped. With that said, they did note that there were never any plans for Punk to rip into AEW or Tony Khan.

Whilst many have labeled Punk a sellout for running back to WWE and delivering such a cookie-cutter promo, something tells me this will eventually position him as a heel in the feud with Seth Rollins, who will be the one defending WWE from him, with Punk simply looking to cash in and take advantage of WWE’s booming popularity.

But what are your thoughts on last night’s CM Punk promo? And did you sit through three hours of Raw waiting for it? Let me know in the comments down below.

And next, an AEW original has announced officially leaving the company. Since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, QT Marshall has played a key role behind the scenes when it comes to the on-screen creative process. With him once viewed as Tony Khan’s right-hand man, despite his lack of push in the ring itself. With that said, QT would take to social media last night to confirm that his days in AEW are over, citing a difference of opinion in which the company is heading.

According to a report from House of Wrestling, sources within WWE believe that the contract situation is part of a storyline, and that talks have not been held with Max over making the jump, despite teasers of a bidding war of 2024. Adding that his contract is potentially till 2027. But regardless of if this is true, AEW clearly has big plans for the New York show.

And next, a major AEW injury has been confirmed. MJF is in the midst of the longest AEW World Championship reign in company history. This as he heads into his hometown of Long Island to defend his title against Samoa Joe on December 30th at World’s End. With that said, at the most recent AEW pay-per-view, Full Gear, the champion would reportedly suffer from an undisclosed shoulder injury. Although no further information was known as to the damage caused. Well, last night Max would take to X to reveal the details of his injury following an MRI scan. With it looking like bad news for his short-term plans.

The news comes ahead of the event based around MJF entirely, with World’s End being the last scheduled date before his contract supposedly expires in January 2024. But do you think the fresh injury could lead to MJF dropping the AEW World title to Samoa Joe at World’s End? Let me know in the comments down below.