Particle.news
Download on the App Store

CM Punk Retains WWE World Title Over Finn Balor in Belfast

Streaming live on Netflix, the Belfast show served as a milestone stop on the Royal Rumble build.

Overview

  • Punk defeated Balor in their first-ever singles meeting to close Raw, turning back the hometown challenger to keep the World Heavyweight Championship.
  • The event aired live from the SSE Arena in Belfast with an early U.S. start time of 3 p.m. ET on Netflix.
  • Balor entered to his earlier 'Catch Your Breath' theme and pushed Punk to a dramatic near fall before the champion rallied and showed post-match respect.
  • Hours before the bout, Punk needled Balor on Instagram by writing, "Got a GTS for each of ya," in response to a post about Balor’s 94-year-old grandmother.
  • Bron Breakker remained storyline-suspended and off the show as WWE continued the run-up to the Jan. 31 Royal Rumble, where Cody Rhodes is already confirmed as an entrant.