Seth Rollins Shoots on CM Punk; Strowman Eyes Royal Rumble; WWE Rumors on Sami Zayn

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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Rollins Talks Issues with CM Punk

Following his heated reaction to CM Punk's surprise WWE return at Survivor Series last month, Seth Rollins explained this week why there is no love lost between him and Punk.

During an appearance on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina (h/t Fightful's Jeremy Lambert), Rollins gave some insight into why he and Punk have been at odds in recent years:

"[CM Punk] said some really bad things about me. Talked down about me for years and the company for years. I'm talking some really bad stuff. Called me a bootlicker and crap like that.

"You don't know me. You don't know what I stand for. I'm a loyal person and I felt pretty insulted by a lot of the ways he treated me, treated the place I work for, treated friends that I worked with. I don't need to get into any of the stuff with Colt Cabana if you want to look at that kind of stuff, that's out there. Just the way he treated people."

Punk was previously in WWE until he decided to leave in January 2014, and for the final couple of years he was in the company, Rollins was on the main roster as well as part of The Shield.

After leaving WWE, Punk stayed out of the pro wrestling world for several years until he made his AEW debut in 2021.

Punk reportedly had multiple backstage issues and altercations during his time in AEW, though, leading to his release from the promotion in September.

That opened the door for Punk to potentially return to WWE, and while there were rumors and speculation that WWE wasn't interested, that turned out to be untrue, as Punk made his triumphant return in his hometown of Chicago.

Punk and Rollins have both subtly mentioned each other in promos since then, so it seems likely that WWE is building toward a match between them, potentially at WrestleMania 40.

While speaking to Traina, Rollins suggested that he is open to doing business with Punk and being professional if that is the road WWE wants to go down:

"No one is forcing something on you, but I'm a businessman, for sure, I'm hoping to do business, if it's there to be done. I'm open to mending fences, if that's even possible. I know that might sound crazy, but I'm open to it. I'm almost 38, and I ain't got time to hold all these grudges. I think it's a lot of energy to hold that negativity in, and I'd like to put that energy somewhere else and make it positive. I'm open to all different facets of what this could be. ...

"I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to stuff like that. I think there will be a way to make it work for everybody. He says he's the best in the world, that ain't the case, I'm the best in the world. I'll make anything work, no matter who it is."

While Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes is shaping up to be the main event of WrestleMania 40, Rollins and Punk could easily headline Night 1 of the event.

They are undoubtedly two of the best all-around performers in wrestling, and their real-life animosity would likely make for a spectacular rivalry and match.

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Strowman Expresses Hope to Return at Royal Rumble

Braun Strowman has been out of action since undergoing fusion surgery on his neck in June, but he is pushing to return in the near future.

In an interview with Vineet Ramakrishnan of News18, Strowman gave an update on his status and noted that he would love to return at Royal Rumble in late January if it is possible:

"I don't know yet; if I could be back in Rumble, that'd be great. But like I said, I'm at the mercy of the doctors and what they say. I'm listening to them because this was a very serious injury that I had. So, slow and steady as the process on the company is so supportive behind me and stuff. I'm staying busy now."

Strowman, who had his C4 and C5 vertebrae fused, said he recently had his five-month check-up and gave a positive update:

"I had four screws and a metal plate put it in my neck. Doc cleared me to start lifting weights again, which was a major blessing because I was going crazy sitting around eight weeks of doing nothing. I lost 35 pounds just sitting around for eight weeks because I wasn't eating like I normally do since I wasn't lifting. So I didn't need all those extra calories. So now we're trying to put the weight back on. The goal for 2024 is to continue this."

During his first run on WWE's main roster, Strowman enjoyed a ton of success, including holding the Universal Championship, but he was shockingly released in June 2021.

WWE re-signed Strowman in September 2022, and he eventually formed a tag team with Ricochet.

Strowman was still teaming with Ricochet when he got injured and required surgery, but it is unclear what plans WWE will have for him when he returns.

While having Strowman return at the Rumble would be a huge deal, WWE is likely to take a cautious approach with him given the severity of the injury.

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Zayn Reportedly Given Time Off By WWE

There was reportedly good reason for the backstage attack angle involving Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn on Monday night's episode of Raw.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestle Ops), Zayn recently asked for time off, and WWE granted his request.

McIntyre recently aligned himself with The Judgment Day in order to get his hands on Jey Uso in WarGames at Survivor Series, but after he and The Judgment Day lost, McIntyre initially seemed to have a change of heart.

He offered world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins a handshake in the ring, but when Rollins revealed that he was giving Uso a title shot, Drew snapped and headbutted Rollins.

Zayn took issue with McIntyre's actions, setting up a match between them on this week's episode of Raw.

During the match, Zayn tweaked his knee, and McIntyre took advantage by attacking it and later hitting him with a Claymore for the win.

While Zayn was being tended to backstage, The Scottish Warrior attacked him and further damaged his knee.

That was seemingly WWE's way of writing Zayn off for the time being, potentially allowing him to make a big return at Royal Rumble or some other point on the road to WrestleMania.

Given the heat involved with the injury angle, McIntyre vs. Zayn seems like a possibility at WrestleMania 40.

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