CM Punk’s return to WWE may have been put on a long pause just as it was getting started. 

The 45-year-old Punk, who just shockingly came back to the company in November after nearly 10 years at Survivor Series, suffered a torn triceps during the men’s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field on Saturday, according to ESPN

PW Insider reported that Punk is heading toward surgery that could keep him out of action for 4-6 months.

Punk, who was believed to be penciled in for a WrestleMania 40 main event match with World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, is expected to address the injury on tonight’s episode of “Monday Night Raw.”  

The injury appeared to have happened when Punk took a Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre during the Rumble, in Punk’s first televised match since he came back. 

After he hit the mat, Punk immediately reached for his right triceps.

Punk finished the match and was in the final two with eventual winner Cody Rhodes.

This will be the second time Punk has suffered the injury in 16 months as it also happened to him after he won the AEW World championship for the second time at AEW’s All Out in September 2022 before his infamous press conference and backstage brawl with The Elite. 

Punk also broke his foot in June 2022 in AEW by diving into the crowd.

Rollins is also dealing with his own injuries, saying last week on Raw that he has a grade 2 tear of his MCL and a torn meniscus. 

He suffered it on an awkward landing to a moonsault during a title match against Jinder Mahal two weeks ago on Raw. 

Rollins is still set on performing at WrestleMania and said during an interview with former UFC champion Daniel Cormier last week, that he plans to rehab and “be back at full strength around a month.”

If Punk’s injury is as serious as believed, there will almost certainly be someone else standing across from Rollins in Philadelphia.