CM Punk's two-month absence from television led to rumors about his WWE status this week, with online speculation emerging about a rift between him and the company.Being unhappy with WWE's creative team, asking for his release, and getting involved in a backstage dispute at WrestleMania are just a few of the rumors that have made headlines as of late. However, on Wednesday, multiple reports shut down the recent conversation about Punk, with many sources claiming there was no merit to any animosity between Punk and WWE and that he's set to return to TV this upcoming July. Now, there's been an update regarding how "The Best In The World" will be utilized going forward.According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk is expected to join "WWE SmackDown" upon his return in order to balance out the company's rosters. With "WWE Raw" already having stars like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan and Oba Femi, the belief is that Punk would be a better addition to "SmackDown" where he would be amongst talent like Cody Rhodes, GUNTHER and Randy Orton. That said, the newsletter argued that Punk could still return to "Raw" before joining "SmackDown," as the upcoming July 6 episode of "Raw" will take place in Punk's hometown of Chicago.Before Punk went on hiatus, he did tease a potential storyline with Rhodes, who is the Undisputed WWE Champion on "SmackDown." With the 47-year-old being rumored to be involved in major plans at SummerSlam, it remains to be seen if he will be challenging "The American Nightmare" at the two-night event. The day before confronting Rhodes on "Raw," Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42.
