During the WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Show, CM Punk made a surprising announcement revealing that a major WWE star will not participate in this year’s Royal Rumble match. The current World Heavyweight Champion confirmed he won’t be competing but will closely monitor the match since he might face the winner of the 30-man elimination bout.
Speaking to Michael Cole in front of fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Punk shared his thoughts on who might win the Rumble. The majority of the crowd supported Roman Reigns, the two-time winner of the event.
Punk also discussed the upcoming high-profile match between AJ Styles and Gunther, stating he has no plans to act as a “ring general.” He remarked, “Gunther is a big, strong, tough guy. I’m glad he’s not in the Royal Rumble, so he won’t be able to beat me anymore.”
Later in the kickoff show, Michael Cole seemed to counter Punk’s comment by telling Gunther, “Gunther, we’re going to have a unique night tomorrow. We can end AJ Styles’ career and then go on to win the Royal Rumble.” This contradicts previous announcements that Gunther would both face Styles and compete in the Rumble, as the Austrian wrestler is currently focused on singles matches and potentially retiring another legend.
Gunther made headlines by defeating John Cena at the December event, forcing the 17-time world champion to submit during his retirement match. This followed Gunther’s earlier victory over Goldberg in another retirement bout.
Punk last defeated Gunther at SummerSlam last year, but Seth Rollins immediately cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to take the title from Punk. However, Punk is expected to reclaim the championship in November and enter WrestleMania 42 as the reigning champion.
Regarding the Styles vs. Gunther match, Punk predicted that AJ Styles would come out on top, telling fans in Saudi Arabia, “There’s a reason why AJ is phenomenal. If anyone can pull this off, it’s him.”
AJ Styles announced last year his intentions to retire this year but has not specified an exact date. His last WWE Raw match could potentially be against CM Punk after his World Heavyweight Championship bout this Monday. Rumors are swirling about Styles possibly stepping away from WWE but continuing wrestling elsewhere, especially after a recent trademark filing hinted he might prolong his career outside WWE.
Fan Take: This revelation raises the stakes for the Royal Rumble and highlights WWE’s strategy of building suspense around their top stars’ involvement. For fans, it promises intense storytelling and provides intriguing setups for upcoming matches and potential career-defining moments within the sport.
