Seth Rollins Calls CM Punk a ‘Bum’; WWE Rumors on Charlotte Flair Injury, Tyler Bate

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.

Seth Rollins Calls CM Punk a ‘Bum’

If someone in WWE management told Seth Rollins to back off of his criticism of CM Punk, he certainly isn’t listening.

Rollins once again ripped Punk during a live show, calling the “Best in the World” a “bum” during his address to the crowd.

“I really don’t feel like talking about that bum tonight,” Rollins said. “Instead, I’d like to take a second to express my gratitude to each and every one of you guys, from all of us in the back. Everyone in WWE, we just want to say thank you, [and] happy holidays. We’ll see you guys next time. We love you. Now, do me one favor. You’ve been singing my song so beautifully all night long. Let them know in State College who the real Best in the World is.”

Rollins would like us all to believe his consistent ripping of Punk is not a work. But there is almost no way his public ripping of Punk is being done without a long-term program between the two in mind.

Rollins is enough of a team player and company man that he would not go rogue this often—particularly given his strong relationship with Triple H. It’s possible Rollins does not like or respect Punk in real life and he’s able to channel that fuel.

That said, it would be a major shock if this all weren’t part of a build for the two stars to go one-on-one.

Charlotte Flair Pulled from Live Events Due to Knee Injury

Charlotte Flair was pulled off the card for WWE live events over the weekend after suffering a knee injury during her match Friday night against Asuka, PWInsider reported.

Flair could be seen holding her knee during the match and needed to be escorted to the back following the losing effort. The extent of Flair’s injury is unclear at this time, though PWInsider noted there is concern it could be “fairly serious.”

Flair has gone through several extended hiatuses in recent years, either due to time off or injury. She’s been a consistent fixture on SmackDown since her most recent return in June, and the timing of this injury could not be worse.

It’s likely Flair was expected to factor into the women’s Royal Rumble picture and could have been seen on the shortlist of favorites. There is no word on how long she’ll be out of action, but if Flair’s absence encroaches on the Royal Rumble, WWE may have to change its plans.

For now, all fingers will be crossed that she’s able to make her return sooner than later.

Tyler Bate Could Be Headed to Main Roster

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said WWE is currently considering adding Tyler Bate to the SmackDown or Raw roster.

“There has at least been talk of Bate going to the main roster,” Meltzer said, according to Thomas Lowson of SEScoops.com. “His size isn’t particularly right for that, but the size thing isn’t as big a deal now with Vince McMahon out of the picture and Paul Levesque being more open-minded as to who can be a top star.”

Bate is listed at just 5’7″ and 175 pounds, but he’s already been in WWE for seven years, winning the UK championship at just age 19. He’s spent most of his time with the company on NXT UK before it was disbanded and has been a fixture on NXT proper in recent months.

It’s unlikely Bate would be a player at the top of the card on the main roster, but he’s shown an ability to put together some of WWE’s best workrate matches every year since his arrival. Throwing Bate in the midcard scene should be no problem, and Triple H has done a nice job getting undersized talent like Chad Gable and Butch over in recent months.

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