CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is the hottest feud going in WWE right now, but neither star is currently cleared to compete.

When Punk originally returned to the company at Survivor Series in November, McIntyre didn't lead the list of most appealing potential opponents for him. Seth Rollins was an obvious choice heading into WrestleMania 40, with Roman Reigns being a close second.

The Scot was amid a career resurgence at the time but had no obvious direction. He was fresh off back-to-back high-profile losses to Rollins in World Heavyweight Championship matches and appeared to be destined for the 'Mania midcard.

As it turned out, McIntyre accidentally injuring The Best in the World during the men's Royal Rumble match in January was the best thing that could have happened to either of them as well as Raw's main event scene.

Punk having to miss The Show of Shows was a definite blow, but it managed to set up what has been an even more compelling rivalry between him and McIntyre.

Despite both guys being sidelined with injuries, they've kept their bad blood alive through social media and the occasional interaction on WWE TV. Every time, they've knocked it out of the park, effectively building interest for their inevitable outing.

Following Punk's Clash of the Castle tease at the end of his latest promo on Monday's Raw, fans were left wondering whether WWE intends to deliver the highly anticipated match at the event, save it for SummerSlam or deliver it when it's least expected.

Addressing the Status of Their Injuries

The most prominent factor in determining when and where Punk vs. McIntyre will happen is the timetable for their respective returns to the ring.

Punk suffering his second torn triceps in two years was a significant setback for his WWE return run. The men's Rumble marked his first—and so far only—televised match for the company in over a decade.

He missed nearly nine months of action in All Elite Wrestling when he tore his triceps at All Out 2022. WWE fans expected him to be gone for just as long this time around, but with his WWE TV appearances becoming more and more frequent as of late, he could well be ahead of schedule.

UFC on TNT Sports @ufcontnt

"My heart goes out to Alexander Volkanovski, to me he's still a champion"<br><br>WWE superstar <a href="">@CMPunk</a> reacts after a blockbuster <a href="">#UFC298</a> event and discusses his comeback from injury ✨<br><br>🎙️ <a href="">@CarolinePearce</a> <a href="">

The Voice of the Voiceless told Caroline Pearce of TNT Sports shortly following the injury that he aimed to recover within six to eight months. That would see him back inside the squared circle by SummerSlam at the earliest.

He insisted on keeping his road to recovery close to the vest when asked by Ariel Helwani during an April 1 interview on The MMA Hour, seemingly not wanting to spoil the surprise of possibly being ready to return early.

Of course, less than a week later on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, Punk briefly got physical with McIntyre at ringside and shed his arm brace. This was the catalyst for the Scot losing his newly-won World Heavyweight Championship to Damian Priest via a Money in the Bank cash-in.

Clash of the Castle will emanate from Glasgow, Scotland on June 15. There's been no word that he's on the verge of getting cleared anytime soon, so unless he's given the green light before then and it's being kept under wraps, Punk vs. McIntyre looks to be unlikely for then.

Another factor to consider is whether McIntyre will be good to go by then.

The Scottish Warrior has been working banged-up for months. He told The Bump (h/t Aaron Varble of SEScoops) in February that he ruptured his eardrum at Elimination Chamber and told The Pat McAfee Show that he hyperextended his elbow at WrestleMania 40.

McIntyre's last televised match came on the post-WrestleMania Raw in a Fatal 4-Way on April 8. He was pulled from the King of the Ring tournament on Monday after being deemed unable to compete.

It's unknown how long he'll be sidelined for, but similar to Punk, he's remained a regular on Raw while hurt, so it's bound to be only temporary until the next stage of their storyline gets underway.

How They've Kept Their Rivalry Relevant

Punk has maintained a presence on Raw by making a handful of appearances since announcing his injury two days removed from the Rumble.

WWE could have easily held him out to maximize the reaction to his return, but the promo battles between the two have been a fun way of keeping the feud fresh in fans' minds.

It started with McIntyre taking credit for Punk's injury and inflicting further damage on the post-Rumble Raw. He continued to boast about sidelining the former WWE and AEW world champ in the weeks that followed, leading to an outstanding exchange involving them and Rollins on Raw in Chicago on March 25.

Drew @DMcIntyreWWE

He's proven time and time again the only thing Punk hates more than all of you is himself. <a href="">

Punk having a hand in McIntyre quickly losing the world heavyweight title at WrestleMania progressed the program perfectly, along with Punk costing him the chance to become the No. 1 contender on the subsequent Raw.

They had another entertaining war of words on Night 2 of the WWE draft and just barely missed each other when Punk popped up on Monday to again put the Scot on notice.

This isn't an approach WWE often takes with rivalries having these circumstances, but it has paid off wonderfully and has only added to the excitement for when they eventually go one-on-one.

McIntyre is motivated and so is Punk. In blurring the lines between fact and faction, they're both doing some of their strongest work ever on the mic and getting the audience invested in the process.

Of course, their material will gradually lose its luster the longer they drag out their storyline. That's why it's imperative they do the match as soon as they're injury-free.

Which Event Makes Most Sense for Their First Encounter?

At Clash at the Castle, there are only two logical matches for McIntyre: Facing Punk or challenging Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The Scot will be a babyface in his home country, which is why the heel vs. heel dynamic wouldn't matter as much.

As noted, Punk returning to the ring for mid-June could be cutting it close and it's not worth running that risk in case he aggravates the injury. McIntyre vs. Punk would be a marquee main event for that show, but McIntyre vs. Priest is a fine consolation prize.

That could be where The Scottish Warrior regains the gold, either by beating Priest in clean fashion or via interference from the rest of The Judgment Day with whom the champion has been teasing tension recently.

McIntyre getting his moment in Scotland would more than make up for his loss to Roman Reigns at the first Clash in Cardiff, Wales two years ago.

The two-time WWE champion can then walk into SummerSlam with the world title to defend against Punk, and the outcome wouldn't be predictable. McIntyre could realistically retain to prolong their program and pave the way for Gunther dethroning him at Bash in Berlin.

There's a number of different directions WWE can go in with Punk vs. McIntyre, but waiting until SummerSlam to give fans that first match is the best bet.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.