Backstage News On Why WWE Opened RAW With Paul Heyman, Was CM Punk Ever Planned?
CM Punk was not at last night's RAW and was not in the script that they went to air with. One person in WWE creative said on Friday that Punk wasn't even discussed but didn't rule out a surprise return. Most people within WWE didn't know Punk would not be appearing for sure until Monday afternoon.
There was never a script written that included Punk in any way, beyond the few mentions that were made. There were going to be other mentions, by who we don't know, but those were nixed from the script.
Last night's RAW opened the way it did because WWE officials felt that if they ignored the Punk situation, the chants would become more powerful as the show went on. The feeling was that if they addressed it at the start of the show, the crowd would settle down some.
Source: PWInsider Elite
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