CM Punk made a surprise appearance at the beginning of the 2023 WWE NXT Deadline PLE, hinting at a potential involvement with the NXT brand, as opposed to RAW or Smackdown. Mike Johnson from PWInsider.com reported that the concept was proposed during Smackdown, and Punk was keen on the idea from the start. Johnson stated:

“The story that Punk ‘missed his flight’ was simply a creative reason to explain his appearance and to set the ball rolling for fans to anticipate his appearance through social media engagement with Punk, Shawn Michaels and Paul Levesque [Triple H] postings on Instagram and Twitter. We are told that Punk was not hidden backstage before his appearance and was available and friendly to the NXT talents backstage, many of whom he met for the first time tonight.”

Additionally, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful mentioned that sources at Deadline observed Punk being “really happy” at the event. Punk interacted with several wrestlers, including Cora Jade, who had been a fan of his. WWE released a video showing Punk expressing his pride to Cora and embracing her.

EXCLUSIVE: The newly returned @CoraJadeWWE receives some heartfelt encouragement from her childhood idol, @CMPunk. #NXTDeadline pic.twitter.com/WfOFqXOXsZ

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2023