CM Punk, fresh off losing the WWE Championship to Sami Zayn, is reportedly set for one of WWE’s most-popular premium live events, and trust me, it’s already getting wild. WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News) says Punk’s expected to work the Money in the Bank card on October 10 in New Orleans. His exact role? Totally unknown right now, but man, the path to get there is already a minefield.
Punk’s Money in the Bank Gauntlet Is No Joke
We just saw Punk lose the gold, but his next hurdle is a monster. He’s scheduled to face Gunther and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat qualifying match for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match *this week* on SmackDown. If he wins that, he’s in, with a contract for a guaranteed world title shot hanging in the balance. That’s huge! But let’s be real, his win is far from guaranteed. Gunther and Balor are both legitimate contenders for that ladder match. And then there’s Kevin Owens. Remember last week? Punk totally cost KO in his WWE Championship match against Zayn. You think Owens forgot that? No way. It’s easy to see KO showing up to screw Punk over in this qualifier. If that happens, we’re looking at a whole different ballgame for Money in the Bank. Could be Punk versus Owens, or maybe even a Triple Threat for the WWE Championship with Punk, Owens, and Zayn. Either way, this is gonna be messy, and I’m here for it.
WWE Is Seriously Scrambling to Keep Dragon Lee
Talk about a hot commodity. WWE is reportedly desperate to keep Dragon Lee in the fold because his contract is set to expire soon. WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t Jenkins) put it plainly: WWE is “in the business of keeping” him. And why wouldn’t they be? The guy’s got insane in-ring ability, a killer gimmick, and they can use him across multiple brands, including AAA. He’s been heavily utilized lately too, competing in major matches for the Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable and Penta. Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News) spilled the beans that both Lee’s contract and his brother Dralistico’s (who’s with AEW, by the way) are expiring soon. Get this: they even filed a trademark for “Hermanos Lee.” That screams “we’re teaming up!” So, could Dralistico join Lee in WWE, or is Lee heading to AEW? WWE clearly wants to add talent to AAA, so bringing in Dralistico makes total sense from their end. It’s Lee’s decision now, but WWE is making a huge push.
The TNA Partnership Is Fading as AAA Takes the Spotlight
Remember when the WWE and TNA partnership was everywhere? Seems like ages ago, right? A new report, again from WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats), says the partnership is still intact, but it’s definitely not as strong as it used to be. The reason? WWE’s shifting its focus hard to AAA. They kicked off that multi-year partnership in January 2025, and for months, there was a ton of talent exchange. TNA stars on NXT, NXT Superstars holding TNA championships, like Trick Williams and Kelani Jordan. It was awesome crossover! But lately, that’s slowed down big time. Now, it’s way more common to see AAA stars all over NXT. From WWE’s point of view, pivoting to AAA totally makes sense. It looks like the landscape of wrestling partnerships is definitely changing, and AAA is the new priority.
What a week this is shaping up to be! We’ve got Punk’s Triple Threat qualifier *this week* on SmackDown, which could entirely derail his path to Money in the Bank. Then there’s the high-stakes drama surrounding Dragon Lee’s contract. Will WWE pony up enough to keep him, or is he heading somewhere else? And finally, we’ll be watching to see how this shift to AAA really impacts the WWE’s partnership dynamic moving forward. There’s a ton on the line for all these stories, and you know we’ll be glued to our screens watching it all unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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