CM Punk Injury: WWE Star To Undergo Surgery, Miss WrestleMania 40?

CM Punk’s quest to headline WrestleMania upon returning to WWE might’ve just been derailed.

Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported Monday that CM Punk suffered a significant injury Saturday night in the men’s Royal Rumble match.

According to Meltzer, the exact nature of the injury was unconfirmed but speculation within WWE was that Punk suffered a torn triceps.

Sources told PWInsider.com that Punk likely would need around 4-6 months of recovery and physical therapy after undergoing surgery, a timeline that would prevent the 45-year-old from working WrestleMania 40, scheduled for April 6 and 7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Punk (real name Phil Brooks) returned to WWE in November after a stint in AEW. The men’s Royal Rumble match marked his first televised match with WWE since 2014. He was the last person eliminated by winner Cody Rhodes.

It certainly seemed like WWE was building toward Punk facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40, perhaps as the Night 1 main event for the world heavyweight championship. Rhodes is likely to challenge Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE universal championship on Night 2.

Now, it appears those plans are in jeopardy. And not because of the knee injury Rollins recently suffered, which already threatened to throw a wrench into the festivities before Punk reportedly messed up his arm.

How will WWE change course if Punk’s injury is legitimate and he’s forced to undergo surgery? Perhaps we’ll find out Monday night on “RAW.”