Report: CM Punk Planned For WWE Brand Switch

CM Punk has been a hot topic over the last week, with some unsubstantiated rumours emerging on alleged behind the scenes heat with TKO and a lack of creative plans from WWE, though this talk was ultimately debunked by further reports. Punk still remains absent from WWE programming despite claiming he wasn’t going anywhere on the back of his WrestleMania 42 loss. Some plans for Punk have come to light for when he does eventually make his return. 

It has been reported by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the plans in WWE are for Punk to make his return to the Friday Night SmackDown brand. This is reportedly due to WWE wanting to balance the current RAW and SmackDown rosters, with the belief that RAW has the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The Usos, Jacob Fatu, Oba Femi, Logan Paul and Bron Breakker, whereas SmackDown only has top stars in Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Rhea Ripley, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre, the latter two also being off TV currently. 

WWE did tease a match between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk on the RAW after WrestleMania, with Meltzer noting that this is indeed an intended direction from WWE.