The Best in the World is currently nowhere to be found

Remember when CM Punk walked back into WWE and the roof blew off the joint? That energy has evaporated faster than a beer in a hot arena parking lot. We are sitting here five days away from the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, and the most talked-about guy in wrestling is essentially ghosting his own booking.

Following the events that played out, Punk publicly claimed he would stay ready for whatever title opportunity fell out of the sky. It sounded like a manifesto. Instead, it sounds like an excuse for a vacation if you look at the latest breakdown of the SummerSlam main event picture.

Missing in action while the roster cycles through

You can’t stay in the conversation if you aren’t in the building to take a chair shot to the back. Punk has been absent, and while he loves to talk about being the voice of the voiceless, the only thing we hear is silence. WWE is moving toward their biggest summer show, and the creative team seems to have no idea where to slot a guy who refuses to play the standard game.

His lack of presence creates a vacuum. When a main event talent decides to vanish, the promotion has to move on, but fans keep checking the Gorilla position expecting a pipe-bomb promo that never comes. It is a logistical mess for the writers, who are clearly scrambling to find a dance partner who can actually sell a feud without a massive ego clash.

The booking flaws are hitting a ceiling

Let’s be honest: if you aren't on screens for weeks at a time, your heat dies. The current approach to his return feels like a series of disjointed vignettes rather than a coherent march toward a championship match. If the plan was to build anticipation, they accidentally built apathy.

He needs a program that goes beyond the post-match brawls or the cryptic locker room interviews. Without a concrete target, the whole 'best in the world' schtick starts to feel like a collection of greatest hits playing in an empty house. WWE has plenty of hungry young talent ready to climb, but leaving a legend on the sidelines does nothing for the rub.

What happens next is anyone's guess

If he steps back into the ring for August 1st, he better hope his cardio is better than his recent social media output. We have seen this movie before where the anticipation outpaces the actual in-ring performance. Wait, I’ve seen this one—it’s the one where the wrestling fan gets his heart broken by the guy who promised to change the world.

If the company doesn't lock down an opponent before the mid-July TV tapings, the hype will flatline. Creative needs to stop treating this like a surprise guest spot and start booking him like a professional wrestler who wants to hang onto those gold straps. Otherwise, this whole run becomes a footnote instead of a legacy moment.