Jan. 27, 2024 will mark 10 years since CM Punk (real name Phillip Brooks) walked out of the WWE, having informed Triple H and Vince McMahon that he was going home.
Now, it sounds like Punk is actually keen on the idea of returning to the company that helped him grow into a legend more than a decade ago.
On Saturday, AEW president and CEO Tony Khan announced in a statement that CM Punk had been fired from his contract following a legitimate backstage altercation with Jungle Boy (real name Jack Perry).
According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), CM Punk was actually “open to leaving AEW” and “encouraged” by the possibility of going back to WWE.
Sapp’s report added that Punk was keen on appearing at this year’s WWE Royal Rumble event. There was even a rumor going around WWE that CM Punk would return at the premium event to set up a match for WrestleMania 39, with former Universal Champion Kevin Owens being brought up as a possible opponent.
Fightful, however, hadn’t heard if WWE was open to this, nor if AEW was willing to release CM Punk at that point.
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The former WWE Champion opted to leave the company before Monday Night Raw went live on Jan. 27. Fans, of course, wouldn’t see CM Punk back in the wrestling business for another seven and a half years — until he debuted at AEW’s “The First Dance” special on Aug. 20, 2021.
With CM Punk now back on the free agent market, it’ll be interesting to see which promotions make a serious run at him. Only time will tell if WWE is willing to give him another opportunity following a well-documented and ugly divorce a decade ago.
