CM Punk is back.
After months of speculation and reports, CM Punk finally returned to WWE television. Sort of. At the end of Tuesday's WWE Backstage on Fox Sports 1, CM Punk made a surprise appearance and announced he would be on the Nov. 19 edition of the show.
It was reported on Sept. 27 that Punk did on-camera testing for WWE Backstage. Punk would later confirm the report, but also stated he had not heard from Fox. Punk detailed his discussions with Fox in an interview during his "Girl on the Third Floor" media tour, saying, "I was told WWE was not involved. But who knows. It could be why I haven't heard anything yet. I made it clear to them that, if I landed this, I wouldn't be here just to shit on everything because nobody wants to watch that. The way they approached me with it was, 'We have [Alex Rodriguez] for baseball, Troy Aikman for [football]. And then you for wrestling. That would be your authority. We would like you to be the analyst.'"
THAT. JUST. HAPPENED. #WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/TDd5n0qk25
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) November 13, 2019
Punk is listed as a special contributor and analyst for the show.
From WWE:
After a nearly six-year absence from WWE TV, CM Punk made a shocking, unannounced appearance on Tuesday night’s episode of WWE Backstage, FS1’s new weekly studio show.
The two-time WWE Champion arrived during the show’s final moments, entering to the sounds of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality,” Punk’s entrance music during his storied in-ring career.
“It’s as simple as this: Just when they think they’ve got the answers, I change the culture,” Punk told the camera, before adding, “I’ll see you here next week.”
Within minutes, the WWE on FOX Twitter account confirmed that Punk will make periodic appearances on WWE Backstage beginning next Tuesday.
Punk left an unforgettable legacy during his WWE career, including holding the WWE Championship for a remarkable 434 days. Since parting ways with WWE, Punk has gone on to author comic books for Marvel, compete in UFC and, more recently, star in the horror film “Girl on the Third Floor,” released in theaters last month.
Don’t miss Punk’s headline-making return to WWE Backstage next Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET on FS1.
Fox also sent Fightful the following.
CM Punk, one of the most celebrated WWE Superstars of all time, joins the roster of FS1’s WWE BACKSTAGE beginning next week, Tues, Nov. 19 at 11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT.
Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk, joins WWE BACKSTAGE as a special contributor and analyst. He will make select appearances in studio alongside host Renee Young and analyst Booker T.
“The Best in the World” joins fellow regular contributors Christian and Paige, as well as news correspondent Ryan Satin on the WWE BACKSTAGE rotation.
Television’s only studio show devoted to all things WWE, BACKSTAGE discusses the week’s biggest stories with a varied cast of guests and personalities, in addition to breaking news and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to WWE.
