CM Punk’s absence from WWE television continues to raise eyebrows following WrestleMania.
The former World Heavyweight Champion was nowhere to be found over WWE Backlash weekend, and he also did not appear on this week’s episode of WWE Raw on May 11 in Knoxville, TN., despite the company officially beginning the build toward WWE Clash in Italy and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event later this month.
Punk has not been seen on WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania, where he came face-to-face with Cody Rhodes one night after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns.
At the time, many fans expected the segment to launch Punk directly into his next major storyline.
Instead, the former champion has seemingly disappeared from television altogether, with WWE offering little in the way of explanation regarding his absence.
There had been some online speculation that Punk could potentially resurface at WWE Backlash as the mystery partner for Danhausen, but that obviously never materialized.
And now, with only two episodes of Raw remaining before both WWE Clash in Italy and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, the chances of Punk returning in time for either premium live event appear to be shrinking quickly.
That has only added to the growing discussion surrounding his status.
As things currently stand, WWE Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 27 is the final major event before the company shifts full focus toward WWE SummerSlam.
While Punk is still widely expected to return well before the summer spectacle, his prolonged absence following WWE’s biggest show of the year has become increasingly noticeable on the Raw brand.
CM Punk is here. 👀@CMPunk | #RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/6GHKOPHl2w
— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2026
(H/T: PWInsider Elite)
