CM Punk did not appear during the April 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, but he addressed the live crowd after the broadcast.
Despite being out of action due to a torn triceps, CM Punk continues to appear sporadically on WWE programming. WWE announced that he would appear on both nights of the WWE Draft. He was conspicuous by his absence on the April 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, which was the opening night.
CM Punk came to the ring and addressed the crowd after SmackDown went off the air on Friday night. He thanked the fans and briefly commented on his recovery. (H/t BWAMatt on Twitter for the video)
“My tricep is not 100% yet, but I promise, soon, I will be back, and I will be competing with all the big, tough badasses backstage,” CM Punk said.
Punk suffered the injury during the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match in January.
As of this writing, there is no word on when Punk will return to the ring, but he is set to appear on the April 29 episode of WWE RAW. WrestleZone will monitor his status and provide more information as it becomes available.