More has come out regarding the segment between Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre on this week’s Raw.
Heading into the March 25 edition of Raw, CM Punk’s appearance was highly anticipated. Coming out for a promo, he was interrupted by Drew McIntyre and later Seth Rollins, with the three of them putting on a segment that felt very loose and not as scripted as we’ve come to expect from WWE. It also featured an off-the-cuff moment in which Punk made a reference to Vince McMahon, asking Drew to name the man who titled him ‘The Chosen One’, which provided an added edge to the promo.
To add more detail on this, PWTorch are now reporting that Punk did not receive any backlash for alluding to Vince McMahon, instead being praised for the way in which he approached the subject before veering away it to add to the segment without being distasteful.
“Multiple sources indicate Punk wasn’t in trouble for veering into territory that related to the now-disgraced former WWE leader, Vince McMahon. Instead, because of how he steered away from it adeptly after a few seconds while still getting the impact he was looking for as a “controversial comment,” it was seen as a slick comment that enhanced the tone they were going for.”
-PWTorch
To elaborate on this, it’s mentioned that recent segments (including those between The Rock Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns) have attempted to play off real life heat, with those involved willing to set aside any hard feelings to work together to create more buzz for the weekly shows.
It’s said that, while the main direction for the segments are known, some roster members are being afforded room to include on-the-fly comments that weren’t pre-planned, and this is reportedly something which Triple H is encouraging.
“While the framework was planned and certain lines were certainly scripted and discussed beforehand, there were some on-the-fly comments that were interjected, something Paul Levesque is encouraging and endorsing, but of course within reason.”
-PWTorch
With many segments attempting to play off known tension, some may wonder whether the ability to tread the line may develop into issues backstage between talent. However, PWTorch note that Seth Rollins and CM Punk are collaborating well backstage.
“By all accounts, while Seth harbored legitimate gripes with Punk, the two are getting along backstage when planning their segments. Punk continues to get all positive reviews from many sources regarding how he is carrying himself amongst colleagues and management.”
-PWTorch
Punk is set to be the special guest commentator when Seth Rollins squares off with Drew McIntyre over the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. He is likely to have a close eye on the result and remain in the title picture when he is fully recovered from his tricep injury.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the backstage dynamics in WWE as soon as we hear more.
