Backstage Report On CM Punk Merch Sales Immediately After WWE Survivor Series Return

CM Punk has proven to be good for business, drawing decent crowds and good ratings on both "Raw" and "SmackDown" since he returned to WWE at Survivor Series. One of the biggest areas Punk has really moved the needle has been in the company's merchandise.

PWInsider Elite reports that Punk merch has been flying off the proverbial shelves since he made his way back to WWE. In particular, Punk's first night back was said to be the most lucrative evening; overnight, over six figures in physical CM Punk t-shirts were sold — an almost unheard-of number for a returning wrestler.

This is not the first time Punk has walked into a wrestling promotion and immediately paid dividends regarding merchandise being sold. Upon returning to wrestling in 2021 for AEW, Punk immediately set merchandise records for both AEW and Pro Wrestling Tees, including breaking the 24-hour record for most t-shirts sold on the latter's website. Three days later, Punk set another record, selling the most shirts in the history of Pro Wrestling Tees.

So far, Punk has been a big business mover for WWE without having wrestled a match for the promotion. That will change later this month, as Punk is scheduled to appear at WWE live events in both New York and Los Angeles. As of now, Punk is not scheduled to wrestle on WWE TV just yet — at least not until the Royal Rumble in January, for which he declared himself an entrant.