A CM Punk WWE Return Is A No-Brainer

CM Punk WWE return rumors have been in the air since the first punch Phil Brooks threw at 2022’s Brawl Out.

After disappearing from television, rumors swirled of a potential buyout, and WWE was reportedly in the mix to acquire Punk’s services. Punk’s unlikely return to AEW in 2023 led to a far more likely exit from AEW just a few short months (and an entire television show) later. WWE has once again emerged as the frontrunners to land the polarizing stars in a business built on “never say never.”

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) reports there are talks between the two sides, and a deal could get done by Survivor Series in Chicago. Last month during an appearance on the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Punk suggested he had two months of free time following his AEW ouster. This led to speculation that Punk was targeting a November return at WWE Survivor Series.

A CM Punk WWE return has nothing to do with mending fences. It isn’t a homecoming. It’s not even a business decision. It’s a message to AEW. And it’s personal.

The national wrestling war between WWE and AEW grows more tense with every passing day. Next stop? A Tuesday Night showdown between WWE NXT
XT
and AEW Dynamite, with WWE hellbent on not only defeating AEW, but destroying them. NXT boasts a star-studded lineup including John Cena, Paul Heyman and Cody Rhodes appearing on the developmental show. WWE wouldn’t give Punk a second look if they didn’t consider AEW competition. But the promotion simply will not pass up the opportunity to skew the narrative in their direction.

All of a sudden, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

CM Punk’s exit from WWE was every bit as ugly as it was from AEW. Punches weren’t thrown but legal threats were. Punk prevailed in a lawsuit levied by WWE, but it cost him his friendship with Colt Cabana, which in a way, ultimately led to tensions between Punk and AEW. During his short-lived honeymoon phase, CM Punk’s return promo in AEW was nine minutes of lip service to professional wrestling. He checked all the right boxes to make hardcore wrestling fans blush, all while denigrating his tumultuous time in the evil empire that was WWE.

“I was never going to get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally, staying in the same place that got me sick in the first place,” said Punk said to the United Center during his memorable return promo. Now fully healed from his latest AEW-related illness, Punk is ready to return to the place that made him sick in the first place because both share animosity toward AEW.

CM Punk returning to WWE for a stint without incident (good luck with that) will make WWE seem like the adults in the room. Similar to taking Cody Rhodes from underappreciated AEW top star to record-breaking babyface, if WWE is able to similarly revive CM Punk’s career, it would cast further doubt on Tony Khan’s leadership style, or lack thereof. Many key AEW contracts are due in 2024. If pending free agents see Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Brian Pillman Jr. and CM Punk all thriving in a new environment, following suit will be enticing, especially among those who still support Punk like Ricky Starks.

WWE has the leadership and infrastructure to manage a wild horse like CM Punk, even without Vince McMahon in a full-time role. Punk’s two-year run with AEW is a far cry from his nine-year run with WWE. If and when CM Punk burns another bridge with WWE, they can wash their hands of him with far less consequence than AEW. After CM Punk’s sudden departure, AEW is now saddled with a second lame-duck show in Collision—a Saturday night show created for CM Punk. After a mini-hot streak of viewership without CM Punk, AEW Collision’s viewership recently came crashing back down to earth. Against stiff competition from college football and NXT No Mercy, Collision drew its worst viewership ever. A similar scenario will play out tomorrow as Collision goes head-to-head with WWE Fastlane.

For what it’s worth, Survivor Series on November 25 takes place on a Saturday.