WWE Survivor Series Recap: Was CM Punk's return a work?

Is it a work?

That is the question being asked by all pro wrestling fans after CM Punk returned to WWE television at Survivor Series after nearly a decade away from the product.

The entirety of Survivor Series will soon be forgotten, solid matches from start to finish be damned, as Punk stole the headlines, and justifiably so.

Punk’s return felt like the worst kept secret in wrestling, with fans attempting to decipher unverified hidden messages on WWE television and social media posts from wrestlers. However, the more that fans tried to tell those within WWE that they had figured out the secret, the more those within WWE would push back with on-the-record comments and posts saying, definitively, that CM Punk was not returning. And yet, fans kept trying to connect dots that seemingly weren’t there, and telling themselves that the Chicago native would, indeed, make a return to WWE in his hometown at Survivor Series. It was akin to the unwavering belief that Bart Simpson carried when he forced himself to believe that Krusty the Clown would eventually show up at the deplorable Camp Krusty.

Cowabunga dude, CM Punk showed up.

After the team of Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso and Randy Orton prevailed over Team Judgement Day, comprised of Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Drew McIntyre, in War Games, Punk’s music hit and the sold-out crowd inside the Allstate Arena exploded.

So what’s next? Well, the answers to that question is just as clear as whether or not Punk was going to show up in the first place. Just as it looked like Survivor Series was going off the air, with the copyright information on the screen, Punk entered the fray. Commentators Michael Cole and Corey Graves went silent, with the last piece of commentary offered from Cole stating that it had been, “an electric night”, and that was before Punk’s music played.

There were no visuals of the the wrestlers still inside the War Games cages, with the cameras instead staying focussed on Punk. And perhaps that was by design, because videos surfacing after the show went off the air showcased a few wrestlers portraying emotions not normally associated with that of a WWE Superstar.

Seth Rollins appeared apoplectic at the sign of Punk, flipping him off while hurling multiple expletives his way, and having to be held back by Cole and Graves. There is no firm answer as to whether this reaction was genuine, or part of a wrestling angle. As reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, very few people within WWE knew of Punk’s return, with Triple H (head of WWE creative) taking control of the show in the dying moments.

“There’s so much inside info that gets out, keeping something secret like that, was actually pretty good,” Jimmy Korderas, former WWE referee of 20-plus years and co-host of the “Reffin’ It Up” podcast, told Sportsnet. "I’m assuming very few people in the match, probably, didn’t know very much.”

If Rollins didn’t know, and his reaction was genuine, then there appears to be a large issue to resolve amongst many in the locker room. It’s not often that major secrets are kept from the talent, especially those involved in the main event match.

“It is very hard for us to get worked these days because we are in the business so when it happens it’s genuinely a cool feeling because we get to be fans again like everybody else,” Anthony Carelli, formerly known as Santino Marella in WWE and now member of TNA Wrestling, said to Sportsnet.

If this is, indeed, a work and Rollins was playing into the return, Korderas thinks it was brilliant on his part.

“This is me personally, and I have no inside info, I think this is Seth Rollins doing good business,” said Korderas. “It’s going to have people tuning in Monday to find out what the heck happens next.”

According to Triple H, Punk’s return came together quite quickly, and with very little time to waste before Survivor Series.

“This came together super quick," said Triple H in the post Survivor Series press conference. "There was a lot of speculation, it really didn't come into fruition until everybody stopped thinking it was going to happen, then all of a sudden, it was happening."

The situation, with so much left unanswered, is similar in nature to Survivor Series 1997, the imfafous Montreal Screwjob. The locker room was left stunned when Vince McMahon changed the finish of the match without Bret Hart knowing, leaving many of the wrestlers with a feeling of distrust.

“A lot of people were very upset,” explained Korderas, when asked about the similarities between ’97 and ’23. “But everyone follows the lead of our locker room leader, The Undertaker. He didn’t squash everything, but he settled people down. At the end of the day, we’re here to do business.”

So who would current WWE wrestlers be looking towards for guidance in this scenario?

“Guys like Randy Orton, you look at the veterans,” hypothesized Korderas. “Guys like Rollins, guys like Roman (Reigns). Top guys are usually looked upon. And, I think there’s a lot more respect for guys like Triple H.

And Triple H has been in this situation before. In 1997, HHH was standing alongside Shawn Michaels on the other side of the Screwjob. Now, though, he isn’t Triple H, he’s Paul Levesque, Chief Content Officer and head of creative of WWE. In 1997, it was HHH trying, “to be a bridge between the locker room who wasn’t happy and a locker room who was indifferent,” said Korderas, reminiscing what the tone of the locker room was like following the Screwjob.

In 2023, Triple H may have to convince multiple members of the locker room that bringing CM Punk back into WWE, nine years after he quit the company due to creative differences and, alleged, unaddressed health issues, is good for business.

“If he can help with where we’re going and what we’re doing, absolutely, welcome aboard,” Rhodes said at the press conference. “I have a feeling that the CM Punk that, potentially, we’re getting is hungry, and that’s the best.”

Punk was most recently employed with All Elite Wrestling, making his return to pro wrestling just over one year ago, also in Chicago. However, Punk was unceremoniously fired by the company after internal issues stemming from backstage brawls and confrontations with management, including company CEO Tony Khan.

Punk’s reputation behind the scenes has never been clean. But his reputation inside the ring and his effect on the bottom line has never been in question. CM Punk will be a massive boon for business, both creatively and financially, for WWE. Where the questions remain, though, are behind the scenes, with the wrestlers he will likely work alongside.

Fans and media will continue to try and sort through all the questions remaining as a result of this entire situation. However taking a step back and observing Survivor Series as a whole, it will be remembered as one of the most noteworthy in company history, which is great for everyone involved. Because as Carelli reminded us, “we are all still fans at heart.”