CM Punk Drops AEW Reference While on Commentary for MMA Fight

The biggest rumor in pro wrestling right now is that All Elite Wrestling will see the arrival of CM Punk on this week’s edition of AEW Rampage. Reports of Punk returning to the wrestling business popped up a month ago, which was quickly followed by AEW’s announcement it was putting the Aug. 20 episode of Rampage at the United Center, the biggest indoor arena in Punk’s hometown of Chicago. In the week’s since then, there have been a number of hints pointing towards Punk, though the former WWE Champion has avoided confirming anything.

However, while on commentary for Cage Fury Fight Championships’ CFFC 99 event on Saturday night, Punk decided to play right into the speculation. When fellow commentator John Morgan noted that one fighter was “returning to his wrestling,” Punk responded with, “Yeah, he’s looking all elite right now!” They both then joked about inside jokes “being thrown all over the place.

During an interview with Sunday Night’s Main Event earlier this week, Punk was asked what he was doing this coming Friday. He responded by claiming there was going to be a special local screening of the new Starz series Heels.

“I think I might be doing a screening, this isn’t confirmed yet so I probably shouldn’t blast this out everywhere, but we’re talking about doing a screening of episode three of Heels at AMC in Chicago. That’s one of the dates that has been proposed. I hope to see everybody there,” Punk said.

He also confirmed how conversations with AEW president Tony Khan went when the Jacksonville-based promotion first launched — “Yeah, I talked with Tony. My perspective on this, and I’ve said this to his face, I am a guy who has constantly heard, ‘Hey, I’ve got a money guy!’ or ‘Hey, I’ve got TV!’ at least one or twice a year for 15-20 years of my wrestling career… it always seems like somebody [says], ‘Oh, we’re going to start up and compete with Vince [McMahon].’ I always think that came from a bad spot, because I think if you start up a wrestling company, I think you should always focus on yourself. So I, more or less, took a wait-and-see approach. I wasn’t and I am not interested in pro wrestling in that respect.”