Survivor Series: War Games 2025 closed with the Vision, Brock Lesnar, Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre standing tall at War Games. However the biggest headline was not the victory. It was the unknown figure covered head to toe who blindsided CM Punk with a kick to the face followed by a curb stomp that looked exactly like something Seth Rollins would deliver.
Rollins has been out for months and no clear timetable has been given for his return. That immediately sparked the question. Who was under the hood. Fans have thrown out countless theories ranging from a brand new member of the Vision to a returning rival of Punk or someone connected to both. These are the five men who stand out as the most believable suspects.
Austin Theory
Could this be Austin Theory making his return to WWE since his fallout with Grayson Waller in July. Theory has not been seen or heard from in months and his standing with the company is a mystery. A comeback inside Paul Heymans Vision would make perfect sense for him. He brings youth, talent and a hunger to break into the top tier. This role could be the push he has been waiting for.
Montez Ford
Montez Ford was not the first name that came to mind until a recent video he posted started making fans talk. It had nothing to do with the Vision and there were no cryptic clues but the athletic profile matches what we saw from the masked attacker. Ford is a future WWE Champion and a future WrestleMania headliner. A reveal like this would put him on that path immediately.
Chris Jericho
Jericho is in his fifties and it is fair to question whether he would move around the cage with that kind of speed. But he has been rumored for a return and Jericho has a long history of mentoring younger talent and building groups around himself. Think of the Learning Tree, the Jericho Appreciation Society and the Inner Circle. He also has a real history with CM Punk including their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania twenty eight. A surprise attack would not be out of character for him.
Buddy Matthews
Buddy Matthews is another interesting candidate. He has a deep history with Seth Rollins from the Messiah era when he teamed with A O P. He has long been viewed as someone who would eventually return to WWE especially with his real life wife Rhea Ripley being one of the biggest stars in the company. Matthews signed a multi year AEW extension in July of 2024 but things can always shift behind the scenes. He has also been out since February with an ankle injury which means a return could be timed for a moment exactly like this.
Seth Rollins
Of course there is always the simplest answer. Seth Rollins doing what Seth Rollins does. Rollins has made it very clear that nobody despises CM Punk more than he does. It is completely possible that the supposed split from the Vision was a misdirection meant to blindside fans and Punk alike. Although Rollins really is dealing with injuries he can never be fully ruled out. He wants nothing more than to make Punk miserable and an attack like this fits that mission too perfectly.
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