CM Punk looks set to make a surprise appearance at NXT Deadline in just a few hours.
The former Champion is yet to officially decide which brand he will be representing after his sensational , and while Raw and SmackDown are the frontrunners, he’s keeping his options open.
During Friday’s episode of the blue brand’s weekly show, he confirmed plans to speak to over the weekend, and now that looks to be the case.
With tonight’s Deadline event getting started at 1am UK time, Punk – whose real name is Phil Brooks – has dropped a massive hint that he could make an appearance.
He shared a photo of himself posing with the giant WWE Championship belt statue outside the company’s new headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, which is only a 40-minute drive from the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
He quipped: ‘Missed my flight today. Woke up in Bridgeport. Anything to do here?’
Not wasting any time, the official WWE NXT account tweeted the post, and added: ‘We can think of something to do, @CMPunk… 👀 #NXTDeadline’
Seeing Punk on a show for WWE’s third brand – which also serves as a developmental programme – would be surreal, but also makes sense after how positively Michaels has spoken about the returning legend.
Speaking before tonight’s show, the Heartbreak Kid told Metro.co.uk and other media: ‘I would always take [Punk in NXT].
‘The same thing I said before, it may not be a compliment to Phil, I always felt like we looked at this business the same way and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
‘Anyway, I wish him luck, I wish the company luck. I’m very excited about it, obviously the WWE Universe is very excited about it, as they should be. It’s a great time to be a fan, right?
‘It’s a win-win for everybody, and to me, when it’s like that, it’s a no brainer for me. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about or feeling like we need to explain it. Everybody enjoy this and let’s just have a good time in the wrestling business.’
As well as a potential Punk appearance, tonight’s show sees Ilja Dragunov defending the NXT Championship against Baron Corbin, while Dominik Mysterio is putting his North American Title.
Elsewhere, Roxanne Perez and Kiana James will battle in a Steel Cage Match, and Carmelo Hayes is facing Lexis King.
The respective men’s and women’s Iron Survivor Challenge matches will determine the number one contenders for NXT and NXT Women’s Title respectively, with the likes of Bron Breakker, Tyler Bate, Lash Legend and Tiffany Stratton in action.
