CM Punk’s WWE Championship defence on Friday’s SmackDown came with a special tribute that some fans may not have immediately noticed.

Punk successfully defended the WWE Title against Kevin Owens in the August 21 main event, but his entrance attire also attracted plenty of attention. The champion made his way to the ring wearing a custom hockey goalie mask created by makeup and visual effects artist Jason Baker.

Beyond its “Best in the World” inspired design, the mask carried a deeply personal detail dedicated to Punk’s late dog, Larry. Baker later revealed that the paw prints featured on the side of the mask were Larry’s actual paw prints.

Sharing more information about his creation on X, Baker wrote:

“Best in the world inspired Goalie mask for the Coach @CMPunk created by me. And yes, those are Larry the dog’s actual paw prints on the side. Jacket & gear by @byJolene.”

Larry was a much-loved part of Punk’s life alongside his wife, AJ Lee, and frequently appeared across the couple’s social media over the years. Larry passed away in November 2024, with Punk openly sharing how much the loss affected his family.

The touching tribute came on a successful night for Punk, although his championship defence against Owens ended amid controversy.

Sami Zayn became involved during the closing stages and attempted to convince Owens to use the WWE Championship as a weapon against Punk. Owens refused to go along with the plan, prompting Zayn to take matters into his own hands and strike Owens with the title.

The interference ultimately helped Punk retain the WWE Championship, while also creating further tension between Owens and Zayn.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jason Baker (@bakingjason)