CM Punk's AEW Return Feud Reportedly Revealed

CM Punk is returning to AEW. Following the company's announcement of a June edition of AEW Dynamite emanating from Chicago, fans began speculating that that event could be home to Punk's long-awaited comeback. Subsequent reports indicated as such, with Andrew Zarian of Mat Men reporting that WarnerMedia has even been told that Punk will in fact be back on AEW programming. Punk's imminent return has caused some choppy waters, as Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are reportedly not interested in working with the Second City Saint in any capacity. Punk, Omega and the Bucks were involved in a legitimate backstage fight after AEW All Out last fall.

While AEW might not be able to turn Punk and The Elite's bad blood into an on-screen feud, separate real-life beef that Punk has may be coming to television. According to Andrew Zarian of Mat Men, Punk's first program upon returning to AEW TV will be with Chris Jericho. Zarian added that he is unaware as to if AEW Tag Team Champions FTR or the Jericho Appreciation Society will be involved. It's worth noting that Punk, Jericho, FTR, AEW President Tony Khan and "other people" will be having a meeting soon.

Punk and Jericho's history dates back over a decade. The two famously clashed for the WWE Championship at WWE WrestleMania 28 and would wrestle each other at WWE pay-per-views WWE Extreme Rules 2012 and WWE Payback 2013. 

The two have had limited on-screen interactions within AEW, including sharing the announce table on an episode of AEW Rampage and being apart of a faction-based brawl on a Summer 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite. That said, their aforementioned real-life beef began after the controversial AEW All Out 2022 press conference. After Punk and The Elite were separated, Jericho reportedly told Punk that he was "a cancer to the locker room" as well as "a detriment to the company" before telling the AEW roster that he will make sure Punk "never returns" to AEW.

Punk put Jericho on blast in a recent social media post, calling him "a liar and a stooge." Following reports of Punk's imminent return, Jericho fanned the flames of the two men's issues, indicating that he would not work with Punk. It's unclear if Jericho's recent social media spat at Punk are in an effort to build this storyline or a continuation of their legitimate prior problems.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on CM Punk's AEW future.