Podcast claim suggests Punk remains WWE’s biggest merch draw
Summary
– A report claims CM Punk is outperforming Cody Rhodes in WWE merchandise sales
– Observations at live events suggest Punk items often sell out quickly
– Rhodes remains a strong seller despite the reported gap
A new claim about WWE merchandise sales has sparked debate about which superstar is truly leading the company in fan purchases.
During a discussion on The Dirty Sheets podcast, Billi Bhatti argued that CM Punk is currently outperforming Cody Rhodes when it comes to merchandise demand. Bhatti explained that his opinion is based on both personal observations at live WWE events and conversations with sources familiar with merchandise trends.
Bhatti pointed to signed photos sold at arena merchandise stands as a useful indicator of popularity among top stars. These items are typically offered for performers positioned near the top of the card and can sell out quickly when demand is high.
According to Bhatti, fans often use these signed photos as collectibles. He mentioned that his own son has collected photos of several WWE stars, including Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, John Cena, Jey Uso, and LA Knight.
Bhatti said he began noticing a pattern while attending shows. In his experience, photos of some top stars remained available even after events concluded.
He specifically mentioned seeing pictures of Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso still available after shows, which he suggested may indicate lower demand compared to other stars.
By contrast, Bhatti claimed he has never seen signed photos of CM Punk still available at the end of an event. That observation led him to ask sources about how merchandise numbers compare behind the scenes.
According to the information he received, Punk’s merchandise sales reportedly outpace Rhodes by a significant margin. Bhatti claimed Punk sells roughly four times as many signed photos and around twice as much merchandise overall.
Despite the claim, Bhatti emphasized that Rhodes remains a strong merchandise seller within WWE. However, he challenged the narrative that Rhodes currently sits atop the company’s merchandise rankings.
The claim has quickly sparked conversation among fans, especially as WWE moves deeper into WrestleMania season, with Rhodes prominently positioned in the company’s main event picture.
