Is Bringing CM Punk Back Worth the Risk for WWE? Weighing 2 Pros and 2 Cons

Phil Brooks aka CM Punk’s presence has graced the pro wrestling circuit for over two decades now. Notorious for his blunt persona, Punk’s career has been filled with highs and lows, for sure. Now, the 44-year-old is a free agent, and the speculations concerning his next step have been a hot topic for a while. The fans want to know if he will wrestle or not. Well, at this point, it won’t be wrong for all the wrestling enthusiasts to expect CM Punk’s return to WWE. However, with Punk’s recent comments regarding his appearance at the Survivor Series in Chicago, fans don’t know what to expect.

Punk said that he would like to spend time with his family now that he is away from wrestling. Nevertheless, the fans must remember that this is WWE, and they make every effort to conceal a major event and surprise the audience, so they shouldn’t lose hope. As a result, WWE may be considering welcoming “The Best in the World” while keeping it a secret. However, Punk’s controversial past and recent history with AEW, where he got fired after a backstage altercation with Jack Perry may make the WWE reluctant to sign him.

So what makes Punk an enticing prospect for WWE and what could put them off from signing their former champion? Let’s explore.

The huge fanbase of CM Punk might appeal to WWE

CM Punk is widely known for his no-holds-barred attitude. And it is all because of this very attitude that he has gained an army of loyal fans all around the globe. Indeed, the fans have stood by him since he was in WWE. With all his hard work and ‘anti-hero’ attitude, he has gained tons of support from the fans, and this might be the biggest reason for the WWE to bring Punk back.

Wrestling aficionados have always wanted Punk to see back in pro wrestling, ever since he left WWE in 2014. This was made possible by Tony Khan when he welcomed the veteran to AEW in 2021. Not only did he get the fans enthralled, but his AEW debut on Rampage garnered 1.129 million viewers, of which 692,000 were in the adult 18-49 demographic. Moreover, it was the largest rating for any AEW program at that time since its premiere. After AEW created another show, Collison, which had Punk on it as its poster boy, the show did good viewership numbers.

This makes evident how big Punk’s return to the WWE can be. WWE could be keen to further boost their ranks with the star power of Punk. Thus, Punk’s fanbase could be a major reason that could lead to WWE making the decision to sign him.

CM Punk is a main-event star and WWE knows it

It’s widely recognized that Punk has emphatically carved his wrestling career. After the golden time spent by the veteran in ROH, where he also became their world champion, Punk moved to the Stamford-based promotion. Initially, he competed in WWE-affiliated OVW and then the company’s version of ECW. Following this, he stepped foot on the main roster of WWE, and that’s when his story blew up.

He won his first world title in the company in 2008, when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Edge. It took some time for Punk to find his footing but he soon became one of WWE’s biggest stars. From being the leader of Nexus to his ‘voice of the voiceless’ gimmick, all helped endear himself to the fans. He defeated John Cena at Money in the Bank in 2011, in Chicago, in one of the historic title matches in WWE. Even more historic was the title reign that followed lasted for 434 days. And regardless of his absence after 2014, the WWE fans kept on chanting his name on many shows.

This signifies how big of a wrestling personality Punk is. His seven-year absence from wrestling only helped in building a bigger fan base due to their eagerness to see the wrestler. Thus, there is only one spot that suits a guy like him, which is the main event spot. The return of the ‘Second City Saint’ would mean a main event program and who knows his much desired WrestleMania main event spot could become a reality.

WWE has been enjoying healthy success in the last year or so and their backstage environment ever since Triple H took over the reigns is said to be much better. Could signing Punk have an adverse effect on that? Given his history with the company, WWE will have to tread with caution if they want to bring CM Punk back into the fold.

Punk’s controversial history with WWE

Punk last appeared in the WWE at the Royal Rumble in 2014. But he didn’t show up on RAW the following night and news later emerged that he had walked off from WWE. This sent shockwaves across the pro wrestling fandom.

It was in November 2014 when he addressed the doubts of the fans in a podcast with Colt Cabana. He laid bare numerous concerns, such as creative differences, a lack of respect, and medical negligence. Well, this was a series of concerns the veteran had to express in the podcast. He even highlighted how he was snubbed by the promotion and considered a part-timer, Dwayne Johnson, a superstar who could headline WrestleMania.

Thus there may exist some unresolved issues between the two parties before they come to an agreement. Even if they find common ground, WWE will have to be wary of Punk’s recent issues in AEW.

WWE might be concerned about what happened during Punk’s time in AEW

Before considering the return of Punk, WWE might also look into the altercations he had in the rival promotion. Despite having an eventful association with both WWE and AEW, his career with the promotions was also contentious. In September 2022, after AEW’s All Out, CM Punk, who had just won the AEW World Championship at the PPV, went after The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Adam Page in a rant during the post show media scrum. This led to a real backstage brawl between Punk and The Elite. Following this, AEW suspended all parties involved.

Read More – Why CM Punk’s Recent Comments Only Further Confirm His WWE Return?

However, later the tension appeared to diffuse. Punk, in fact, expressed his desire to sit down with his adversaries and talk the whole thing out, but nothing materialized. Still, with AEW’s new show Collision debuting and Punk being its face and The Elite restricted to AEW Dynamite things looked good. This was until AEW’s biggest show to date, All In in London.

It was reported that before Punk headed out for his title defense against Samoa Joe at the Wembley stadium, he was involved in a backstage altercation with Jack Perry. This happened after Perry had taken a shot during a pre show match at Punk’s reluctance to use glass in a spot.

This led to Tony Khan terminating Punk’s contract with AEW and firing him in the process. Khan, himself alleged that he felt threatened by Punk’s behavior backstage.

These recent incidents could be a matter of concern for the Stamford-based promotion and they might refrain from adding CM Punk to their roster.

But this won’t stop the rumor mill from churning and we possibly could have all the answers come November 25, when WWE presents Survivor Series from ……..you guessed it, CM Punk’s hometown, Chicago.

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