Is it even a wrestling show in Chicago if CM Punk isn’t there? Punk will be live in the flesh next Monday when “WWE Raw” returns to Chicago on the “Road to WrestleMania,” and his return was announced on this week’s “Raw” broadcast. The following week’s “Raw,” which will take place in Brooklyn, will feature Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who proclaimed on X that “THE FINAL BOSS WILL ELECTRIFY BROOKLYN ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW.” The show in Brooklyn will be the final “Raw” before WrestleMania 40, which will be held on April 6 and April 7.
The Rock’s announcement came shortly after Cody Rhodes captured the attention of the wrestling world with his searing promo against “The Great One” on Monday’s “Raw.” Rhodes and Rock will be on opposite sides of the ring for the main event of WrestleMania Night 1, a tag team match also involving World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Punk, meanwhile, is currently recovering from a torn tricep that he suffered during the Royal Rumble match and will be out of action until the latter half of the year. However, in a video package promo on “Raw,” Punk said he would be in Philadelphia for WrestleMania 40. While his burgeoning feud with Rollins has been halted due to the injury, Rollins’ WrestleMania Night 2 opponent, Drew McIntyre, has been calling out Punk seemingly on a weekly basis since taking him out in Punk’s most recent appearance in a WWE ring. As of this writing, it’s unclear what Punk’s role will be at WrestleMania, or his plans for next week’s “Raw.”
