Backstage WWE Rumors: Latest on CM Punk, Sami Zayn, and More

The wrestling world remains abuzz following the return of CM Punk to WWE, so it's no surprise that the rumor mill is still dominated by the The Best in the World.

The 45-year-old remains at the forefront of insider reports, but why?

Find out with this collection of rumors surrounding the former WWE champion, as well as the latest on the company's television negotiations, the status of Sami Zayn and an update on the health of Charlotte Flair.

Update on CM Punk's Presence in NXT

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported: "There was a massive genuine excitement at the PC [WWE Performance Center] yesterday when Punk surprised everyone by showing up and spending the day with talents."

Punk did not appear on Tuesday night's edition of the gold brand, but he was in attendance backstage, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select:

"He was backstage and was willing to help anyone who asked for it, and even hanging out with talent in the lounge. Punk was also watching matches with talent and giving them feedback. Fightful's Corey Brennan also heard that Punk was moving around the area, including gorilla, and behind the hard cam area and tech crew observing."

Punk explained in the 2012 WWE Home Video release CM Punk: Best in the World that he had learned the production side of the business from Paul Heyman during his days in Ohio Valley Wrestling, including the timing of shows, and considered it to be invaluable to his development.

It's not surprising that he would take an interest in what goes on in the gorilla position or in any other aspect of producing WWE TV. It's also no shock that he would be backstage working with the young talent in NXT.

Several All Elite Wrestling talents expressed appreciation for Punk's willingness to help young stars in the company, including his now-fellow WWE Superstar Jade Cargill, per The Bootleg Kev podcast.

Britt Baker also spoke of Punk's willingness to give advice during his stint with AEW during an interview with The Maggie and Perloff Show:

"CM Punk coming back to wrestling was one of the most historical things in All Elite Wrestling history and always will be. You can't take that out of the wrestling books. I'm really thankful we got to work with CM Punk. I learned some stuff from him, he was always really helpful and willing to work with younger talent."

Perhaps more than anything, that is the legacy Punk can leave in this run with WWE. He is already a huge star, will probably headline premium live events and should main-event WrestleMania at some point.

Passing on his knowledge of the business and giving back to the industry via his work with the next generation of stars could be what helps define him in this second go-round in WWE.

WWE Raw TV Deal Update

Punk's influence is being felt elsewhere within WWE, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer.

The Best in the World has sparked renewed interest in the WWE product at the right time, with social media numbers skyrocketing and his presence across the company's television properties moving the dial.

Monday's Raw segment featuring Punk's contract decision and first face-to-face showdown with Seth Rollins saw a jump of 377,000 total viewers, or 25 percent, according to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.

In fact, every time he appeared on television Monday, the show saw an increase in viewership of some kind.

His appearance on the Tribute to the Troops episode of SmackDown last Friday saw an increase in overall viewership in the all-important 18-49 demographic.

The buzz is real, people are tuning in specifically to see what he is doing and, according to Meltzer, it is driving changes in the television rights negotiations for the company's flagship show, especially now that Punk has pledged allegiance to Raw.

Latest on Sami Zayn

Meltzer also noted on his Wrestling Observer Radio show that Sami Zayn requested time off. Hence the injury angle filmed a week ago on Raw, in which the former undisputed WWE tag team champion was attacked by Drew McIntyre.

Zayn has been a workhorse for WWE over the last year and a major driving force for some of its most celebrated and productive storylines.

His work as part of The Bloodline story is well-documented and culminated in one of the great, emotional main events in recent memory at Elimination Chamber in Montreal, where he came up short in dethroning Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

He teamed with Kevin Owens to end the historic reign of The Usos as tag champions in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 in what was a legitimate Match of the Year candidate.

Zayn has remained a prominent figure in WWE, appearing and working nearly every week on Raw.

Taking time to recharge is probably for the best. More importantly, it allows him to go away and come back hotter in time for WrestleMania 40, something that benefits the performer and the company.

Latest on Charlotte Flair

Johnson also reported on the current status of Charlotte Flair, who appeared to be injured Friday night on SmackDown:

"WWE sources have indicated that she is not expected back in the ring until she is completely evaluated medically. She has been pulled off the road until the company gets confirmation on the nature of the injury. We are told the company is working on setting that up right now."

Flair lost to Asuka on the Tribute to the Troops broadcast, thanks to interference from Bayley, but she appeared to suffer a knee injury during the match:

The 37-year-old received medical attention immediately after the pinfall and was noticeably in pain as WWE medical staff assisted her to the back:

Flair is one of the top stars in WWE and one of the faces of the women's division. Losing her for any period of time would be a major blow to the promotion, especially as it ramps up its Road to WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

The Queen battled Rhea Ripley at last year's Showcase of the Immortals in one of the best matches of 2023 and while it's unclear what her role on the 2024 card would look like, it is safe to say she would be involved in something of significance.

Here's hoping Flair makes a speedy recovery and does not miss considerable time to the injury.