CM Punk’s name continues to remain in the headlines after news surfaced on Friday that the recently-fired AEW wrestler may be returning to WWE in the near future.
As we previously reported here on eWn, CM Punk and WWE are said to be involved in “ongoing” negotiations. As of this writing, no deal has been agreed upon and the talks continue.
According to a report from Fightful Select, WWE officials “feel confident” that CM Punk would be more than willing to return to the company as he has openly expressed his desire to do so over the last year. WWE officials know the ball is in their court whether they would welcome him back. One source in the company firmly believes that when Punk visited a RAW TV taping in Chicago, IL back in April while he was under contract with AEW, he was looking to return. Another source said they believed Punk’s appearance was more to create some allies there.
It’s worth noting that as of just two weeks ago, there was no indication that Punk, who was fired from AEW after his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at the AEW All In 2023 pay-per-view event, had conducted any talks with WWE. Of course, we’re now several weeks out from then and there has reportedly been some movement. Feelers from CM Punk’s side were sent out back in September.
One WWE employee had advised someone close to CM Punk that speaking to Vince McMahon directly would be the best way to secure a return. Some of you may recall that McMahon was adamant with FOX in the past that he wasn’t interested in Punk when the network was pushing for Vince to bring him back.
Additionally, it is said that CM Punk still has a lot of heat on him in WWE. This is due to how his last run with the company came to an end. It is said that many of the people who have issues with Punk would be talked to if the Straight Edge Superstar returns in order to prevent similar issues to what happened in AEW. A veteran WWE talent said CM Punk clearly knows that “he wouldn’t be able to pull any of his s**t here. There’s nobody here he could jump without getting his ass handed to him.” It is said that CM Punk would have to make good with several top talents in WWE if he were to return to the company.
It should be noted that no one in WWE has been told anything about CM Punk returning to the company at this point. Additionally, nothing has been put out to tease a Punk return. A source on the WWE creative team said there are more than enough promos and interviews with Punk that anything could be interpreted as a CM Punk reference if a deal is reached between the two sides.
One source close to CM Punk has outright said that he would absolutely return if WWE had interest in him.
It was noted that there could be a few roadblocks in the form of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, as the two men have been very open about their dislike for CM Punk. Sources on both sides believe that those relationships would need to be repaired before Punk returning to WWE would work.
And finally, it was added that CM Punk’s salary in AEW was above what many of the top WWE Superstars are currently making to work full-time. It’s said that Punk doesn’t have the same leverage that he did months ago. This would obviously factor into negotiations about his schedule and pay.
As of this writing, CM Punk has not responded to any requests for comment on the WWE return rumors. And he’s been one of the main people yapping when it comes to leaking stories about his time in AEW in an attempt to fit his narrative and defend himself. As you’d expect, the other side has been doing the same.
