WWE Rumors on CM Punk's Return, SmackDown Leaks, El Grande Americano Mask Sells for Big Money

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

Reported Details on Punk's Return, Relationship with WWE

CM Punk has not appeared on WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania 42, but he is reportedly making a play to return in the near future.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), Punk at one point was pushing "very hard" to return on the July 6 episode of Raw in Chicago.

It remains to be seen if that will be the case, but even if it is, Meltzer noted that Punk is slated to be part of the SmackDown roster moving forward.

During his absence, there has been some online speculation about issues between Punk and WWE, but multiple reporters threw some cold water on that notion.

WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t Eric Mutter of WrestlingInc.com) reported that Punk would be "back in no time, right back on top of the card," and that his absence was a case of "rest for that guy that has been going, outside of injury, for three straight years."

False Finish also reported that Punk would be back on TV "relatively soon."

In a follow-up, Meltzer reported that although the relationship between Punk and WWE is "not as bad as some have made it out to be," it "wouldn't be correct" to say there are no issues at all between the two sides.

Meltzer did not offer any specifics beyond that regarding what disagreements WWE and Punk might be having.

Whatever the case, SummerSlam is on the horizon on Aug. 1 and 2, and since it is one of WWE's biggest shows of the year, it is hard to imagine Punk not being back in time for it.

WWE Reportedly Unhappy with SmackDown Leaks

This week's episode of SmackDown was taped on Tuesday night at the O2 Arena in London, which inevitably led to spoilers hitting social media shortly thereafter.

According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, there was "internal unhappiness" within WWE over the fact that footage of the entire episode leaked online, which is a significant departure from run-of-the-mill spoilers.

SmackDown will air in its normal time slot on USA Network in the United States on Friday night, but the fact that the episode was available ahead of time in some fashion on the internet could potentially hurt the ratings.

It is not an insignificant episode either, as it will serve as the go-home show prior to the Night of Champions premium live event, which is set for Saudi Arabia on Saturday afternoon.

That promises to be a newsworthy PLE with both the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring finals, plus Cody Rhodes defending the WWE Championship against Gunther and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat.

El Grande Americano Mask Goes for Big Money at Auction

The mask worn by the current and only El Grande Americano during the mask vs. mask match against the original El Grande Americano fetched a pretty penny at auction this week.

In a post on his Instagram account, El Grande Americano announced that the match-used mask sold for $50,035:

Per Fightful's Jeremy Lambert, WWE announced that 100 percent of the proceeds from the mask, which was autographed by El Grande Americano, would go to the Dr. Sonrisas Foundation to benefit children with life-threatening illnesses.

At AAA Noches de Los Grandes on May 30, the El Grande Americanos faced off in a mask vs. mask match with the loser having to reveal their identity.

In what was among the best matches in all of pro wrestling so far this year, the Grandes left it all in the ring, and in the end, the original El Grande Americano revealed himself to be Chad Gable.

Now, Gable is getting a huge babyface push on Raw after apologizing to the company's luchadores for his actions, while El Grande Americano is perhaps making a push toward the AAA Mega Championship.

El Grande Americano's popularity, particularly in Mexico, is undeniable, and the high sale price for his mask proves that out.