CM Punk chooses WWE Raw, enters Royal Rumble match after staredown with Seth Rollins

That CM Punk-Seth Rollins feud you’ve been asking for was more than teased on this week’s WWE Raw.

Ever since his surprise return at Survivor Series, CM Punk has been appearing on Raw, NXT and SmackDown. His pop-ups have been riling up fans who haven’t seen him in a WWE ring since 2014, featuring a few promos that harken back to his fast-talking, anything-goes heyday.

Leading up to his SmackDown appearance at Tribute to the Troops, WWE teased that Punk needed to choose a brand to sign with. At the Dec. 1 episode of SmackDown, Randy Orton made a dramatic decision to sign with the blue brand. The question remained, would the Straight Edge Superstar follow suit and make his announcement on Monday night?

General manager Adam Pearce welcomed Punk to the ring at the top of the 9:00 pm ET hour of Raw, and he immediately recalled his WWE debut at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland and referenced his earliest days with the company, as well as his time as World Heavyweight Champion and the circumstances of losing that title.

Punk referenced the day he left WWE and stated he does not regret his decision, but offered his apologies to disappointed fans for what happened, before cutting to the point: his decision. The “Best in the World” expressed his desire to put his past behind him, correct any mistakes, and start his future immediately as a Raw talent.

As the segment seemingly ended, Seth Rollins interrupted Punk’s music, creating the staredown not days, weeks, or months, but years in the making between two of pro wrestling’s biggest stars. The World Heavyweight Champion then grabbed the microphone, dismissed Punk’s comments about WWE being his “home,” and blurred the lines about this being the 45-year-old’s “last chance” in pro wrestling.

Punk kept his retort simple, with the conclusion that he’ll enter the Men’s Royal Rumble match in January to potentially earn a match against Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Punk experienced his first real moment with another WWE talent since his return last month, and it certainly delivered. Now that he’s officially on Raw on Monday nights, viewers should expect more interactions like this with not only Rollins, but also other WWE Superstars.