Highlights

• Vince McMahon had no involvement in bringing back CM Punk to WWE, surprising some fans who may have expected his approval.
• Punk's return to WWE was a well-kept secret, with very few people being informed of his appearance at Survivor Series.
• The deal between Punk and WWE was only finalized on the day of his re-debut, despite rumors and speculation leading up to it.

Survivor Series ended with CM Punk's music hitting, sending the Allstate Arena into a frenzy and social media into meltdown. Exactly what Punk's path through WWE will look like almost ten years after he infamously walked out will become a little clearer when he appears tonight on Raw, likely to cut a promo we'll remember for years to come. As for how he got here in the first place, you've got Triple H and Nick Khan to thank for that, but not Vince McMahon.

Vince McMahon Was Not Involved

Fightful Select (subscription required) has heard from sources backstage that McMahon played no part in Punk being brought back into WWE. Potentially not surprising to some, although some fans might have assumed a decision as big as this one would need to be run by the former chairman. Even if McMahon really doesn't make creative decisions anymore, it's hard to imagine Triple H didn't even clue him in, or ask for his advice when the deal looked like it might become a reality.

Related

Seth Rollins Cuts Live Event Promo On CM Punk Return [Video]

Seth Rollins was at a WWE Live Event on Sunday night and cut a promo, addressing CM Punk's return and hinting at an upcoming angle.

If McMahon had been involved in the decision to bring back Punk, it might never have happened. Fox reportedly wanted Punk to appear on SmackDown when he worked as a co-host on WWE Backstage, but McMaon shot the idea down. Punk also popped into Raw earlier this year ahead of his AEW return. Triple H seemingly didn't have a problem with Punk being there, but the newly signed Superstar was eventually asked to leave, allegedly because McMahon didn't want him there.

Who Knew?

Very few people were told Punk would be making an appearance at Survivor Series. Arriving at the building minutes before his music hit, Punk walked through the backstage area for everyone to see, straight into Gorilla ready for his music to hit. As for how the deal came together, despite the rumors, Punk and WWE didn't speak until a few days ago. The deal, which is reportedly three years long, wasn't finalized until the day of his re-debut.

More than 24 hours later, I'm still struggling to believe we're living in a timeline where Punk is once again a WWE Superstar. I'd love to have been watching McMahon when Punk's music hit, especially if he really had no idea he'd be back. Failing that, as I can't imagine that footage exists, whenever someone next sees McMahon, if they could ask him what he thinks about all this, I'd be eternally grateful.