CM Punk’s return seen as a big surprise in WWE

WWE veteran Dutch Mantell revealed he anticipated Paul Heyman’s SmackDown appearance but was caught off guard by CM Punk’s return. Speaking on Smack Talk, Mantell praised the show’s closing segment as one of the year’s finest.

“I knew Paul Heyman was going to be in there, but since I don’t watch RAW, you know, CM Punk has moved off my radar,” Mantell said. “It was really one of the better segments I’ve seen on SmackDown this year because they put it together fine.”

The segment culminated in a wild brawl after Heyman introduced Punk as the fifth member of Roman Reigns’ WarGames team. The show closed with Reigns and Punk hitting their finishers before posing together in the ring.

Paul Heyman orchestrates CM Punk’s return to join OG Bloodline

The Wiseman made his highly anticipated return during SmackDown’s final segment in Salt Lake City, Utah.

With Roman Reigns’ OG Bloodline still searching for their fifth WarGames team member, Heyman shocked the audience by introducing CM Punk.

The moment carried additional significance given Heyman’s history as Punk’s mentor during his historic 400-plus day WWE Championship reign between 2011 and 2013. Following the announcement, the complete OG Bloodline team drove Solo Sikoa’s faction from the ring.