WWE Champion CM Punk To Miss TLC pay-per-view; New Main Event Tables, Ladders And Chairs Match Announced

WWE Champion CM Punk won’t be able to compete at the wrestling company’s upcoming pay-per-view after suffering an injury on “RAW” this past Monday. The Straight-Edge Superstar had surgery on his left knee after being put through a table by Ryback, resulting in Punk being sidelined and a six-man TLC tag team match being made in place of CM Punk vs. Ryback for the WWE Title.

“Events on RAW have lead me to make the following match for the TLC pay-per-view,” reads a statement from Vince McMahon on WWE.com. “Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns “The Shield,” will take on Team Hell No and Ryback. This match will be a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match and for the first time ever, it will be decided only via pinfall of submission.”

As strange as this might sound, CM Punks injury is a blessing for everyone except The Shield.

After “RAW” saw The Shield attack Tag Team Champions Kane and Daniel Bryan join the list of people who despise the new stable of NXT performers, the joining of Team Hell No and Ryback makes perfect sense. This also bales Ryback out of having to lose to CM Punk for hte third pay-per-view in a row, and will keep CM Punk from looking weak before facing The Rock at the Royal Rumble.

Ryback’s character is built on him being unstoppable and CM Punk’s is built on him being devious enough to escape with his WWE Title every time. The past two times the championship has been on the line, Punk won by questionable means, and the time before that it was a draw.

If CM Punk were to beat Ryback cleanly it would halt the new superstar’s momentum, but a third cheat would be repetitive. Now that issue has been resolved and the only problem left is whether The Shield should win.

As a new group, The Shield needs a definitive victory to get over. This brings Ryback losing three pay-per-views in a row back up. The situation is more flexible now that he is part of a team, though; Kane and Daniel Bryan’s bickering could cost the trio the match.

Fans have known for some time that CM Punk would hold the belt until Royal Rumble to face The Rock, so taking the title out of the main event makes the bout less predictable. With word from WWE.com that Punk is only expected to lose a few weeks of ring time, this is the opening the company has needed since John Cena’s knee surgery injected Ryback into the WWE Title picture.

The Second City Saint underwent surgery on his left knee in Pensacola, Fla. on Tuesday, reports WWE.com. Dr. James Andrews completed a scope of the injused knee, and trimmed a cartilage tear.

“CM Punk underwent knee surgery today to remove a piece of torn meniscus that had locked up his knee,” said Andrews’ colleague, WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann, according to the WWE.com article. “The surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, went smoothly and CM Punk is expected to make a full recovery.”