CM Punk earned a spot in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match last night on Friday Night SmackDown in Indianapolis, Indiana, but the result did not sit well with some WWE fans.
Punk beat Finn Bálor and Gunther in a Triple Threat Match that main-evented the show. The finish came after Bálor hit Gunther with the Coup de Grace to the back. Punk seized the opening, pinned Gunther and clinched his place in the match.
A number of fans reacted immediately on social media, particularly those who believed Bálor should have earned the spot. One post published after the match read:
“Legitimately the only wrong choice for a winner…what are we doing here?”
On Reddit, another fan questioned why Punk needed to be in the ladder match again, writing:
“Balor should have won in my opinion. MITB doesn’t need Punk, he gains nothing from it.”
Much of the criticism centers on Punk’s history in the match. He won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2008 and 2009, becoming the first wrestler in history to win it in consecutive years.
Punk now joins Bron Breakker, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams and Penta in the men’s ladder match. Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano will compete for the final spot on next week’s SmackDown.
The premium live event is set for October 10 at 6 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. It will stream live on ESPN+ in the United States.