Chris Jericho Discusses CM Punk Potentially Working with AEW

With AEW the talk of the town in pro wrestling these days, there's one possible lurking return that could really bring thousands of new eye balls to their product when they hit the television air waves this Fall.

CM Punk has not wrestled in a major promotion in over five years, having exited WWE in early 2014. Frustrated with WWE's medical staff and creative process, he took the opportunity to live out his dream of fighting in MMA instead.

While Punk has been pretty adamant in interviews that he has no desire to return to wrestling, he did recently make an appearance (under a mask) at a wrestling show in Milwaukee and even got physical in the ring.

There's no doubt AEW would love to have the former WWE Champion on their roster. Chris Jericho spoke out this week (via ESPN) about what it would entail to land a commitment from Punk.

"If he wants to come back to wrestling, it would have to be for the right reasons -- both on his end and on AEW's end," Jericho said. "CM Punk is a unique individual. Could we use him? Of course we can. Could WWE use him? Of course they could. It all depends on what Punk wants to do and what his attitude is when and if he comes back. Because it's a new world now. It's not a negative world, it's a positive world. Especially in AEW.

"Like I said, if he wants to come in, he'd probably be welcomed with open arms. But I think he would have to kind of prove himself, as he would want to. Because I know him. He's a competitor. He's not gonna come back just for a paycheck or just to be famous. If he comes back, it's because he wants to be here, he wants to wrestle and he wants to prove something. And if he doesn't feel that way, he won't come back. The only person that can answer that question, I believe, is CM Punk himself."

Tony Khan spoke following Double Or Nothing about having put together a potential list of performers he would want to to sign when the idea for AEW was born. He noted that Punk was on that list.