After his infamous walkout following the 2014 Royal Rumble, the thought of CM Punk returning to WWE seemed far-fetched. However, with his AEW departure earlier this month and having made an appearance backstage at a WWE event earlier this year, the stars align now more than ever for a potential comeback.
When asked about Punk returning to WWE, president Nick Khan commented in the aftermath of the UFC merger that the company respects him and wishes him “nothing but the best,” neither confirming nor denying the possibility. It kept speculation open, which carried into the media call for NXT No Mercy.
Shawn Michaels was asked on the call about the possibility of bringing Punk to NXT, to which he said he would welcome Punk, but doesn’t think anyone would let him have him there.
Of course we’d welcome him here in NXT. My guess would be he’d want to go to the main roster, but I always enjoy working with Phil. Didn’t get to do it much. I understood him. Whether you want to say there were similarities in us.
He once at TV pulled out of his wallet, right there on the spot, a little autograph that I guess I had apparently signed for him at a hotel that he still had. So I’ve always liked him, and I understand he’s a different kind of cat and can be sometimes challenging to get along with. That’s probably why I like him because I suffer from the same thing.
Obviously that’s for people to decide who are higher up on the food chain than I am. He’s a guy that does numbers and makes money. I think that’d be a risk-reward ratio that I’m sure from a company standpoint they’d have to consider. But when it comes to would we take him in NXT and have him on our television, are you kidding me? Of course I would, I just don’t think anybody would let me. Who wouldn’t take that kind of star power? I don’t know. If I get in trouble for that, I’ll let you know.
Michaels’ enthusiasm for Punk suggests that he would welcome him to NXT, which would undoubtedly boost their ratings. The presence of main roster stars like Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley on the developmental brand has already created a buzz, so one of the biggest stars of this generation would only increase that.
The Heartbreak Kid’s statement doesn’t sound promising for the possibility of Punk appearing in NXT or anywhere in WWE as of now. Crazier things have happened, but betting against his return is reasonable for now.