Watch: CM Punk makes shocking WWE return at Survivor Series

For the first time in nearly a decade, CM Punk appeared on a WWE broadcast at the end of Survivor Series.

WWE Survivor Series 2023 took place on Saturday night, featuring WarGames matches and title matches that had fans at the Allstate Arena in Chicago on the edge of their seats.

Of course, when the Windy City hosts a pro wrestling event, CM Punk‘s name inevitably becomes part of the conversation. This has been the case for much of the build-up to Survivor Series, taking off when AEW fired him after All In due to a backstage incident with Jack Perry.

Most of the Punk talk has been internet speculation. No reports stated that he would make an appearance at Survivor Series or that he had officially joined WWE. Fans have been eagerly anticipating his return to the company after a hiatus of nearly 10 years, when he famously left after the 2014 Royal Rumble premium live event.

So, on Saturday, fans wondered if Punk would make an appearance at Survivor Series, rejoin WWE, and become a part of the machine again — and that answer was yes.

As Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins celebrated their WarGames victory, with the credits ready to roll, “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour blared over the Allstate Arena speakers. And in what felt like an eternity between the song and his presence, out walked CM Punk.

“Never say never” is as perfect of a description as possible for this.

Now, Punk did nothing on stage. He greeted fans and soaked in the raucous atmosphere, and the show ended.

But the Straight Edge Superstar didn’t need to do anything. His presence alone did enough to create buzz and close Survivor Series in a way not seen since Sting’s WWE debut in 2014, and then some.

So, what Punk does next becomes the question as, again, he technically did nothing at Survivor Series. This gives fans reason to tune into Raw and SmackDown this week to see if he will appear on the show, have something to say, or do something more. Let’s see what’s next in the shocking second chapter of Punk’s WWE career.