CM Punk. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Vince Russo questions WWE's timing of CM Punk's debut

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/16/23

CM Punk almost broke the internet when he returned to WWE at Survivor Series: War Games on Nov. 25. The mercurial talent had been a free agent following his release from AEW for cause.

Punk's return has captured the imagination of wrestling fans around the world and will undoubtedly result in an immediate spike in viewership.

However, former WWE writer Vince Russo, who was speaking on a recent episode of Sportskeeda's "Writing with Russo" podcast, questioned the timing of Punk's return. He believes WWE prioritized social media impact over creating a compelling storyline.

"What does that really achieve? We're gonna debut him in Chicago; he's gonna get the pop," Russo said. "Okay, what does that really do? ... They're looking for the moment to pop. Just like with [AEW President] Tony Khan with finding his shiny new toys, pro wrestling in general is just about getting the next pop. That's the reason why storylines are very lackluster. That's the reason why characters aren't developed. It's just a matter of what can we do to generate a huge algorithm on YouTube."

The world has changed since Russo was involved in creative for WWE. Social media rules the way modern media is consumed. There is nothing WWE could have done in terms of a storyline that would have been bigger than the fact Punk had returned after 10 years away from the company.

Furthermore, Paul Levesque had managed to keep Punk's signing a secret heading into Survivor Series. There's no guarantee he could have kept it a secret in the days and weeks that followed.

Yes, creative will now need to create some storylines on the fly. Some will stick, and others will likely fall flat; that's the nature of the business. WWE has likely generated millions of dollars from their social clips, too.

Heading into Survivor Series, there was a "will he, won't he" narrative surrounding a potential return for Punk. That alone is enough storyline to appease the fanbase and get their pulses running.

As such, Russo's point appears to have missed the mark. There is more than one way to tell a story in professional wrestling. Doing it in a way that generates fresh interest among millions of potential viewers is certainly not a misstep by Levesque or the WWE.

Punk is back in WWE, and that should be more than enough for now.

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