At WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2026, Grayson Waller defeated Tony D’Angelo to retain the NXT Championship.
Following his victory, Waller’s celebration was cut short by Danhausen who introduced a video message from CM Punk who challenged the NXT Champion for the November 4 episode.
If he goes on to win the title, Punk could be in line for a bevy of fresh new stars to step in the squared circle with.
Here are five potential CM Punk WWE NXT first-time opponents.
Tony D’Angelo
In his video message to Grayson Waller at WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2026, CM Punk stated that he was waiting for the smoke to settle between he and Tony D’Angelo in the main event.
This alluded to Punk issuing the challenge to the winner regardless of the result.
D’Angelo has been one of the faces of the WWE NXT brand for the past five years and is a Chicago native himself.
In a battle of Chicago’s favorite sons, Punk and D’Angelo could be on a collision course if “The Best In The World” dethrones Waller on the November 4 WWE NXT.
Tavion Heights
CM Punk recently appeared at WWE NXT live events where he went on to team with Tavion Heights and Myles Borne.
Heights has gone on to admit that Punk is someone he sees as a mentor and asks for advice from.
After losing his friend in Borne, Heights might need to not only get some advice from Punk, but might need to test himself against “The Best In The World.”
Heights squaring off with Punk could prove to be the biggest match of his career and show how far he has come since signing with WWE.
Myles Borne
Another young star who has gone to CM Punk in the past for advice is Myles Borne.
However, Borne is a much different performer now after turning his back on Tavion Heights and turning heel.
At WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2026, Borne defeated Heights in a Weapons Wild Match, seemingly putting their rivalry to bed.
After falling short against Tony D’Angelo in a number one contender’s match, Borne could be the first man to step up and challenge Punk for the NXT Championship if he captures the title.
Charlie Dempsey
When he was first making his name in WWE, one of CM Punk’s main rivals was none other than William Regal.
Now all these years later, Regal’s son Charlie Dempsey is looking to put his name on the map on WWE NXT.
As a member of Birthright, Dempsey has shown more confidence, feeling like he deserves every opportunity possible.
In what would be a full circle encounter, Dempsey challenging Punk would call back to his original clashes with William Regal for the WWE Intercontinental Championship almost 18 years ago.
Jackson Drake
One of the fastest rising stars on the entire WWE NXT roster right now is Jackson Drake of The Vanity Project.
Coming into the promotion through the WWE ID program, Drake has had a meteoric rise, which started on WWE Evolve.
Within months of debuting, Drake became the inaugural Evolve Men’s Champion and is now the current NXT North American Champion.
Wanting to prove himself against “The Best In The World,” Drake could make for a formidable foe for CM Punk if he were to win the NXT Championship on November 4.
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