WWE Rumors on John Cena, CM Punk, Trish Stratus, Evolution and Otis' Surgery on Injury

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

CM Punk SmackDown Promo Had 'Glorious' Touch

While he was unable to take the gold from John Cena at Night of Champions, fans are probably still talking about CM Punk's promo from SmackDown on the eve of the match.

Punk channeled Cena's old gimmick and schooled the champion on "Basic Punkanomics."

According to PWInsider (via WrestleTalk), Bobby Roode helped to produce the segment.

The former NXT champion shifted to a backstage role after undergoing a pair of neck fusion surgeries. He said in 2024 he was medically cleared to wrestle again but remained content to stay behind the scenes rather than step inside the ring.

It's safe to assume Punk had some personal input on the cutting remarks he directed toward Cena on SmackDown. Roode also had a hand in creating a memorable exchange that added to the excitement for a highly anticipated rematch.

Trish Stratus Expected to Be Part of Evolution PLE

WrestleVotes Radio (via Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported WWE is planning to have Trish Stratus involved in the second all-women's Evolution premium live event. A promo for Stratus was supposed to be part of the SmackDown broadcast but didn't air.

The seven-time women's champion competed on the first Evolution show in 2018. She teamed with Lita to beat Mickie James and Alicia Fox in a showcase of the previous generation of WWE's women's division.

Stratus has also wrestled sporadically since then, most recently taking part in the women's Royal Rumble and then tagging with Tiffany Stratton at Elimination Chamber.

Some, including James, had some critiques of Evolution the first time around. The build wasn't necessarily befitting an event of such historic proportions, and the final shot of the stars standing on the entrance ramp was an anticlimactic conclusion that effectively ignored the ongoing storylines.

There's a place for the second Evolution to acknowledge some legends of the past, but the focus should remain on the current stars and their current exploits. Maybe WWE will strike a balance between the two with how it utilizes Stratus.

Otis Recovering from Elbow Surgery

Otis has been scarce on WWE programming since losing to Rusev on the May 5 edition of Raw.

Fightful Select (via Ringside News' Steve Carrier) reported the Alpha Academy member had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. While a timetable for his return is unclear, the procedure wasn't considered serious enough to keep him on the shelf for a prolonged period.

Granted, WWE probably has a lot of its rough plans for SummerSlam laid out already. The creative team might be a little hesitant to insert a recovering Superstar into the picture, especially one who's unlikely to occupy a big role on the card.