The sly references to CM Punk are starting to become something of a regular occurrence on WWE TV. During last week’s episode of SmackDown, announcer Corey Graves made a nod to Punk with the popular “the greatest trick the devil ever pulled” line during the broadcast. The latest episode of Monday Night RAW followed suit, this time with a popular finishing move that Punk has used for years.
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During the new episode of RAW, Shinsuke Nakamura attacked Ricochet on his way to the ring for a triple threat match. Part of the attack included Shinsuke hitting Ricochet with a GTS, Kenta’s longtime move that CM Punk made popular with many American wrestling fans.
The use of this one move doesn’t necessarily mean that Nakamura or WWE are hinting at a potential CM Punk return. Nakamura has used the move in WWE before and had a social media exchange with Kenta about using it back in 2019. But two consecutive episodes of WWE TV have included some kind of nod to Punk. Now that he’s a free agent, fans have been wondering if a WWE return is somehow in the cards.
Forever stoking the fires, Punk has also made low-key references to a partnership with WWE. Over the weekend, Punk posted a frame from Marvel Comics that features Iron Man and Doctor Doom making a temporary truce to work together. Of course, that got a lot of people talking, as Punk and WWE haven’t been on good terms for the better part of a decade.
Issues With Punk’s WWE Return
According to a recent report from Fightful Select, there are a lot of fences that need mending if Punk and WWE are going to work together again. The report suggested that WWE feels Punk would return if he was given an offer to do so, essentially meaning that the ball in the company’s court. But there are some within the company — including two of its top stars — that may not want to work with him again.
The same report indicated current champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns don’t want CM Punk back in WWE. Punk has put his former employer and co-workers on blast several times in the decade since he left WWE, so there are likely even more people that he’d need to fix things with if a comeback were ever in the cards.
Do you think CM Punk will ever make his way back to WWE? Let us know in the comments!
