What’s next for CM Punk? The self-proclaimed “real world champion” was fired from All Elite Wrestling earlier this month following a backstage incident between himself and Jack Perry at AEW ALL IN: London. Unlike Punk’s previous spot of bother in September 2022, AEW President Tony Khan addressed this latest situation head-on, issuing a statement regarding Punk’s firing immediately after the internal investigation into the ALL IN: London situation wrapped up. Beyond that, Khan addressed Punk’s hometown Chicago crowd ahead of the first episode of AEW Collision without the Second City Saint, citing his reasons for parting ways with the former face of Saturday nights.
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With Punk’s AEW era now in the rear view, many have looked to WWE as a possible new home. Punk previously spent eight years competing for Vince McMahon’s company before infamously walking out in January 2014. His final couple of months there significantly strained his relationship with WWE and professional wrestling as a whole, as he would not step foot near the global leader in sports-entertainment for the next seven years.
That changed earlier this year. Ahead of his AEW return, Punk stopped by Monday Night Raw to visit some old friends, reportedly conversing with both The Miz and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. At the time, Punk’s non-televised WWE visit seemed like just an effort to stir up buzz before AEW Collision premiered. Now, some are looking at that moment as Punk attempting to bury old hatchets to open the door for a WWE return down the line.
The 44-year-old Punk likely would not have a lengthy full-time run ahead of him in WWE, but there are a couple of white-hot programs waiting for him should he make the leap back.
CM Punk Confronts Roman Reigns in Fan Edit
Could another Paul Heyman Guy civil war be brewing?
In a fan edit shared on social media, CM Punk confronts Roman Reigns after the Tribal Chief is victorious at WWE Survivor Series 2023. Recycled commentary bites point to Reigns’s special counsel Paul Heyman having “seen a ghost,” referring to Punk, as Heyman previously managed Punk in WWE from Fall 2012 until Summer 2013.
You can watch the fan edit below…
Could Punk vs. Reigns Actually Happen?
Only a couple of stars would need to align to make this match happen, but the constellation in question is one that has not formed in nearly a decade. All reports indicate that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wants nothing to do with CM Punk, but with WWE on the verge of finalizing its merger with UFC, McMahon will no longer have final say.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Punk rarely saw eye-to-eye while they shared a locker room. That said, today’s Triple H has become a far more evolved executive, embracing fan sentiment and regularly advocating for smaller WWE talent like Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa to get opportunities that would have never been available in the McMahon regime.
WWE CEO Nick Khan also factors into this equation. Recent reports point to Khan having a big say when it comes to possibly bringing Punk in. Khan was not around when Punk was previously in WWE, leaving him with just inherited opinions of what it would be like to work with Punk.
The final piece is Punk himself. Reputable sources have revealed Punk had a desire to return to WWE as early as December 2022 and reportedly pushed for a program against Kevin Owens that would have headlined WWE WrestleMania 39 Night One.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Punk’s WWE status.
