Former WWE champion CM Punk sent the WWE universe into a frenzy when he made a shock return at Saturday's Survivor Series event after almost a decade away from the ring.
A video posted online by the official WWE X/Twitter account shows the moment that CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, returned to WWE at the Survivor Series on Saturday night. He entered the arena to roars of shouting and screaming from excited fans, who appeared shocked and delighted by his dramatic comeback.
NEVER. SAY. NEVER.@CMPunk has just returned to WWE at #SurvivorSeries!!! pic.twitter.com/0dpG6vyT5r
— WWE (@WWE) November 26, 2023
WWE posted the same video on YouTube, where it received over 4.1 million views and thousands of comments. One person wrote: "I feel like a kid again. I can't believe CM Punk is back in the WWE." Another added: "This has to be one of the biggest moments in WWE in YEARS", while a third chimed in: "2023 finally got good."
Hordes of wrestling fans on X/Twitter also shared their reactions to the news, with one person noting that it was the "biggest pop in history of wrestling" when CM Punk walked out to greet the crowd. Another enthusiastic spectator reflected on the "special" night, calling it the "greatest return ever" for WWE.
OMG ? This fan reaction to CM Punk’s WWE return is so good! pic.twitter.com/1oxYpFXTBl
— Dark Puroresu Flowsion (@PuroresuFlow) November 27, 2023
Happy CM Punk Returns to Raw Day! pic.twitter.com/HwWt1PpJBQ
— NickMarch? (@NickMarch811) November 27, 2023
cm punk's return video just got 4m views on yt in over a day. holy fuck pic.twitter.com/dgTZH0rrM1
— ????? ⚡? (@punksvision) November 27, 2023
Shoutout @MaracleMan for by far the best reaction of CM Punk’s return. pic.twitter.com/fknrmLT6O0
— Game Over Brother (@GameOverBrother) November 26, 2023
“Dad how did it feel watching Randy Orton and Cm Punk return on the same night”
— . (@capnyuji) November 26, 2023
pic.twitter.com/2BxfzkZnnr
I think it’s safe to assume that these were the reactions of 99.9% of the WWE Universe AND the AEW Galaxy.
— WWE LIFER (@lifer_wwe) November 26, 2023
Last night was special,and I’ma say this RIGHT GODDAMN NOW…Survivor Series 2023,CM Punk…
??GREATEST ??RETURN ??EVER. pic.twitter.com/xRrS796cy6
Biggest pop in history of wrestling when @CMPunk walked out tonight.
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) November 26, 2023
how your non-wrestling friends and family members see you explaining CM Punk's WWE return to them: pic.twitter.com/ga9UWtoipJ
— Denise 'Hollywood' Salcedo (@_denisesalcedo) November 26, 2023
CM Punk is a former two-time WWE champion, three-time world heavyweight champion, and two-time AEW champion. He previously left the WWE amid frustrations over storylines and a lack of medical care, and retired from professional wrestling in 2014, only to return to the wrestling world in 2021 when he signed a contract with AEW following a seven-year hiatus from the spotlight.
Speculation about his WWE return started mounting in September after AEW announced that it had terminated the contract of CM Punk following an alleged physical altercation that occurred backstage in August. However, no-one could be certain of his next move... until he showed up at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
