WWE is riding high on the heels of a critically acclaimed ‘Survivor Series’ event in suburban Chicago. The stunning return of CM Punk capped off Saturday night’s Survivor Series event. The Chicago native left the company under murky circumstances in January 2014 and hasn’t appeared on WWE television since then. But the 17,000+ fans in attendance at Allstate Arena and those watching at home were given an unforgettable moment. It sounds like the company is fully intent on keeping that ball rolling.
The company announced that both Punk and Randy Orton, who also made his anticipated return to the company Saturday night, are scheduled for the November 27th episode of ‘WWE Monday Night Raw.’ The episode will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
WWE made the announcement on their account on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1728868502684262579
This was undoubtedly the expected move, but it’s a move that’s going to be fascinating to see play out for a few reasons.
Usually around this time, WWE television is in its quieter periods. ‘Monday Night Football’ routinely trounces it (and everything else) in television ratings every Fall. There’s not a whole lot that the company can do about that. You can’t compete with the National Football League: It’s the most popular television show in the country. So, the show’s ratings will often recede around this time and then usually pick up on the way to the ‘Royal Rumble’ before the road to ‘WrestleMania.’
This gives WWE an interesting situation they haven’t had in a few years. The company has clearly caught fire as their ratings and attendance figures will tell you. Their babyfaces are getting more popular and over; they’re telling detailed stories, the action has been great, and there’s a lot of interest. Beyond the Punk return, ‘Survivor Series’ was an extremely well-received show. Both War Games matches were outstanding. Bayley turned in an MVP performance and Orton electrified the crowd in his return to the ring. General word-of-mouth of the event could cause a spike.
If there’s ever a time to get a spike, fortunately, Monday night might be the time. While we won’t say Raw will beat MNF in the ratings, the game on Monday night isn’t that appetizing. 6-5 Minnesota will play 3-8 Chicago in a pretty inconsequential game. The Bears have looked horrible at times, and the Vikings have been incredibly inconsistent. Funnily enough, Chicago’s misery for the Bears could lead to a spike in viewership for Chicago’s CM Punk and his return to Monday Night Raw.
Should WWE keep the ball rolling? Then they might have a chance to catch more fire than usual going into Royal Rumble season in January.
[WWE on X]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022