At WWE Survivor Series, CM Punk made his dramatic return to the promotion, and one person who was not thrilled about it was Seth Rollins. As The Second City Savior looked on from the top of the entrance ramp, Rollins could be seen ringside hurling profanities and flipping the bird. Fortunately, his reaction may have been more amplified than authentic despite previous genuine bad blood between the two. In a recent interview, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion explained that he did not like how Punk talked about him, his friends, or WWE in the years since he left and worked at AEW, which he was terminated from three months ago.
Fightful reports that Rollins could be in line to make his exit from WWE next year if he so chooses, as his contract expires in June 2024. As of now, there have not been discussions about a contract extension. Rollins is a very well-liked figure internally, as evidenced by the fact he is the top champion on Raw, and as one source told Fightful, the company will “obviously” make an offer to retain him. Several WWE sources noted that re-signing Rollins is being viewed as a priority.
A WWE source they spoke with did not dispute that Rollins’ contract comes up new year, and they have reached out to the “Freaking” star for comment but have not heard back.
If Rollins does not re-sign with WWE, his next logical suitor is AEW. Tony Khan has deep pockets and is always looking for marquee names to add to his roster, like Adam Copeland and Bryan Danielson. If there are deeply rooted feelings of disdain toward Punk, a leap to the company that sent him packing could make a move more enticing. It is worth mentioning that in a recent interview, Rollins explained his dislike of Punk, and he noted that fans could look into the “Colt Cabana stuff.” The allegation that Punk requested AEW fire Cabana or have him sent to ROH is the same rumor that jumpstarted many of his backstage issues with The Elite and others. Punk has denied the allegation.