Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, More

CM Punk has been out of action since his Match of the Year contender against Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood on October 5, and a new report provides the latest on The Straight Edge Superstar as fans await his return to WWE television.

That topic headlines a collection of insider reports that also includes news on WWE's top merchandise mover, a rumor on plans for Saturday Night's Main Event, and the latest on Jon Moxley's Death Riders storyline and how much leeway he has with it creatively.

Dive deeper into each with this collection of rumors.

CM Punk has not been seen on WWE television since the Raw after Bad Blood, during which he discussed his victory over Drew McIntyre and questioned his future in the business following a brutal Hell in a Cell match, before coming face-to-face with Seth Rollins and exiting stage left.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported no new update on Punk: "CM Punk was not at the show [Monday's Raw] and we've not heard about a return date for him as of yet."

Some believed he would return in time to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series on November 30, but that clearly isn't the case as Damian Priest is the new No. 1 contender.

WWE does have its first foray back onto NBC in prime time on December 14 with Saturday Night's Main Event. Perhaps Punk returns on that show to challenge Gunther or set up his next storyline, one that would seemingly indicate the path he takes to WrestleMania 41.

Regardless, Punk is a marquee player in WWE and someone whose star burns as brightly as anyone's. He will be back, will be involved in something meaningful and figures to at least be back in the squared circle in time for the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis on February 1.

Cody Rhodes continues to top WWE merchandise sales, Sapp revealed.

"It's Cody Rhodes. It's consistently been Cody Rhodes for quite a while now," he wrote. "Outside of occasional live events when generic WWE-themed or PPV-branded merch is collectively the top seller, it's almost always Cody."

It is only further indication that Rhodes is still the guy in WWE.

The undisputed WWE champion continues to have an unbreakable bond with the fans, thanks in large part to his ability to tell a story and get the crowd invested in whatever it is he is doing at the time.

Whether that means chasing the title, finishing his story or fending off the challenges of AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, or former friend-turned-enemy Kevin Owens, he has remained at the top of his game, in the hearts of fans and at the head of the merchandise rankings.

Rhodes is not without competition as one look at the crowd on any given Monday or Friday night indicates that Jey Uso has come on strong with the sales of his Yeet merch, but he remains "QB1" and the face of the company entering his third full year back in WWE.

WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event returns to NBC on December 14 from Long Island's Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, the first event of its kind since 2008. Major stars and significant matches are expected for that show, but it will not be the only one.

WrestleVotes reported on WrestleVotes Radio that WWE will hold five Saturday Night's Main Event shows from now until the end of 2025, with one being the lead-in to WrestleMania 41.

It is not particularly surprising that WWE would look to have as many opportunities at mainstream, broadcast cable exposure as possible, especially leading into its biggest show of the year.

The question is whether it settles for the event being a typical fluff piece where no major championship changes take place but plenty of story advancement is present, or if it goes a step further to establish early on that SMNE is a must-watch show.

The last run of shows the company did with NBC nearly two decades ago were, to say the least, uninspired. Some were taped, nothing really happened, and the run came to an end after two years.

Look for the company to maximize the number of eyeballs it has on the product to make the most of the opportunity and deliver big angles, an occasional title change, and make the show one of the most important on the calendar.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Tony Khan has essentially given Jon Moxley "creative control" over his Death Riders storyline in AEW.

The report does indicate that Khan still has the final say, but Moxley has been given the leeway to do what he wants.

On one hand, letting performers have the freedom to craft what they are working on seems a good idea in that they will be more invested in it and its success. On the other, it sets a dangerous precedent, the likes of which we saw fail previously in WCW.

Still, it makes sense that Khan would entrust one of his veteran performers, who has been with the company since its first show in 2019, with guiding his main event storyline in the right direction.

Whether that proves to be a success remains to be seen.