Tag: CM Punk

CM Punk returning to WWE is indeed a loss for AEW

AEW did the right thing by parting ways with CM Punk, but that doesn’t mean his WWE return doesn’t hurt.

It really happened.

I personally didn’t think it would happen, but it actually happened.

CM Punk, who hasn’t appeared at a WWE event since 2014, showed up at the end of Survivor Series Saturday night. And the timing couldn’t be better for WWE. Not only because the show took place in Punk’s hometown, but his return comes just as the promotion is about to begin its build to the 40th edition of WrestleMania.

Whenever a transaction of this magnitude occurs, there are usually winners and losers. A clear winner here is WWE, as it lands a big star who has proven to be a driver of business outside of the company.

But speaking of outside of WWE, that brings to me the biggest loser in this case, and that is AEW.

I can already hear AEW fans fixing their mouths and keyboard fingers to clap back at my hot take with rebuttals such as Punk being a locker room cancer or Punk being injury prone during his most recent run.

And I hear you when you say that Punk’s abrupt and disgraceful departure from AEW was essentially addition by subtraction because it boosted locker room morale. But when it comes down to the dollars and cents of the matter, it’s still a net loss.

Punk wasn’t just the biggest star in AEW by name only. Tony Khan said himself during a press conference in 2022 that “No one wrestler has ever come in and made a bigger plus delta financial difference in the history of my company … Going into year four, no one person has ever made a more positive impact.”

Khan later shouted, “He’s the biggest part of financial success in the history of this company!”

How does losing that guy result in a net gain? Ask Philadelphia Eagles fans if losing Terrell Owens was a net gain for the team. Ask them if it was a good thing that the best wide receiver the team had since Mike Quick in the 1980s left the team and went to the hated Dallas Cowboys only to have more productive seasons. Their answer would be no. 

Like Punk, Owens was a massive pain in the butt. He clashed with teammates, coaches, and put on a press conference while working out shirtless in his driveway because he was sent home during training camp. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RXqxsRPdHCA

But despite all of that drama and baggage, Owens produced on the field, and Eagles fans still love him until this day because of it.

Like Punk was for AEW, Owens was the biggest difference maker for the Eagles, whose lack of a No. 1 wide receiver caused them to lose three consecutive NFC Championship Games, including two at home. In Owens’ first season with the Eagles, he caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. If you’re not a football fan, that’s a great season, even by today’s standards. Owens did that while missing the final two games of the regular season due to injury.

The injury caused Owens to also miss the Eagles’ two playoff victories before the Super Bowl, but once he returned for the big game, he caught nine passes for 122 yards in a losing effort to the dynastic New England Patriots — on a broken leg.

Then the 2005 season rolled around and the relationship between Owens and the Eagles soured, leaving the team no choice but to deactivate its star receiver before the season was even over due to the situation becoming untenable. Sounds familiar?

The Eagles struggled to replace Owens once he was gone. Yes, the team drafted DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, DeVonta Smith and even got quality play out of Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor for a season or two, but I don’t think the Eagles didn’t truly replaced Owens’ production until they traded for A.J. Brown before the 2022 season.

How long will it take for AEW to replace CM Punk? Is it even possible? Who knows?

Regardless, Punk is now with the competition, and judging by the reaction on social media Saturday night, fans are very excited about what is coming next.

Has Punk’s attitude changed in the last three months since he was fired from AEW? Probably not, but that doesn’t matter as long as he is ready to work and is making a financial difference for the company. 

So yeah, AEW’s locker room might be a more harmonious environment, which is important. But harmony in the locker room won’t sell one ticket to a show. Stars like CM Punk do.

Report: CM Punk’s WWE return draws mixed talent reactions

With CM Punk suddenly back in WWE, it’s only natural that emotions were running high among other wrestlers.

CM Punk made his shocking return to WWE on Saturday night at Survivor Series to close the show, in case you haven’t heard by now. Despite only standing there and taking in crowd reactions, it was a startling moment that was once deemed impossible to ever come to fruition again.

The return happened in front of the wrestlers in the Men’s WarGames match, which main evented Survivor Series. While the television camera didn’t pan their way, Seth Rollins looked visibly frustrated, being restrained by Michael Cole, Corey Graves and others. Of course, that may just be to add to a potential storyline, but a new report sheds some light on the backstage reaction.

Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended) reports that some talent on the roster is upset about Punk’s return, which began with an hour-long call between him and Triple H on Nov. 19 to mend fences, while others are “excited, curious, and about every emotion.”

The report added that before the WarGames match, WWE informed talent that Punk would be returning at the end of the show. At least one talent expressed legitimate upset over Punk’s return, and both Rollins, as seen in the video, and Drew McIntyre seemed upset, but Fightful could not confirm if those were legitimate reactions. McIntyre was said to be visibly angry backstage and left the arena.

One top talent also told Fightful that, while they “understood the surprise aspect of the situation,” it felt like Triple H “could lose some trust among many people that he worked to build it with.”

Essentially, this situation requires a wait-and-see approach, which is understandable considering the nature of the situation and how quickly it came together. From how he cooperates with talent backstage to WWE’s potential plans for him, the unfolding events will ultimately determine how it progresses, especially entering a chaotic WrestleMania season that begins once 2024 hits.

With the Nov. 27 episode of Raw less than 48 hours away, some answers to the Punk equation should arrive soon. It’s one of the most fascinating storylines to ever happen in WWE, and the chapters written over the coming days, weeks and months will be popcorn-worthy material.

[lawrence-related id=41773]

WWE, wrestling world reacts to CM Punk appearing at Survivor Series

Check out some of the top social media reactions from around the wrestling world to CM Punk’s WWE return.

It didn’t look like it was going to happen. And then it did.

We’re talking, of course, about CM Punk walking out to an adoring crowd for his first WWE appearance in almost 10 years Saturday night at Survivor Series. It was a moment that was both astonishing and surreal, given the long history between both parties and many indicators suggesting it would need to come together at the last moment if it was going to take place.

(For what it’s worth, that’s exactly how Triple H described the process.)

The big question that will be floating around for a while now is simple: Now what? It’s clear that hardly anyone knew Punk would appear, and the range of reactions on social media certainly reinforce that idea.

In some cases, even wrestlers who haven’t had time to post something yet clearly felt some kind of way in the wake of the surprise return.

In any case, check out some of the best posts on X in the wake of a moment that will be talked about for some time.

Cody Rhodes reacts to CM Punk’s WWE return: ‘If he can help out, welcome aboard’

Cody Rhodes thinks WWE will benefit from getting a “hungry” version of CM Punk.

It’s hard to recall a more stunning moment in recent WWE history than Saturday night at Survivor Series, when CM Punk made his shocking return after nearly 10 years away from the company in the ultimate “never say never” moment.

Punk returned as the babyfaces — Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and Jey Uso — celebrated their win over The Judgment Day in the main event WarGames match, inciting a crowd noise comparable to some of the most iconic WWE comebacks.

But how did one of them who stood front row feel about the biggest moment of Survivor Series? In the post-show press conference, Rhodes seemed inviting of his former AEW colleague’s presence.

“If he can help out, with where we’re going and what we’re doing, absolutely,” Rhodes said. “Welcome aboard. Welcome aboard.”

Punk was last seen at the end of his tumultuous second stint in AEW nearly three months ago, where he got fired after a backstage incident with Jack Perry at All In. Before that, the Straight Edge Superstar had been out from the fall of 2022 to June of this year as a result of injury and conflicts.

But back in the WWE setting, Rhodes believes they’re getting a hungry version of Punk, and he’s intrigued by it.

“And I have a feeling that the CM Punk that potentially we’re getting is hungry, and that’s the best, that’s the best when someone’s hungry, when somebody wants something, when it’s real.”

Of course, this, which “came together super quick,” wouldn’t have happened without Triple H, Nick Khan and anyone else in WWE upper management. Rhodes thanked them for making the call, and while he hinted at potentially mixed emotions, he knows WWE is a business, and if Punk can help, why not?

“I’ll give kudos and flowers to Triple H and Nick Khan for getting that done. You can ask all the boys and girls ’til they’re blue in the face, ‘Hey, how do you feel?’ You might get up, you might get down, a wide range of emotions, but the first thing, always is business. And again, we’re doing record business. Feels like everybody wants to be here. The more the merrier. If you can help, absolutely, come on board.”

[lawrence-related id=41761]

Triple H on CM Punk WWE return: ‘It’s where he belongs’

Triple H provided some details after WWE Survivor Series on how CM Punk’s return came together.

WWE Survivor Series made it all the way to the trademark logo at the end of the broadcast without the much hoped for return of a certain Chicago favorite. But almost unbelievably, what happened next was something that hadn’t taken place for nine years.

CM Punk walked out to the familiar strains of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality,” dressed in a white t-shirt and soaking in the reaction of an absolutely bonkers crowd at the Allstate Arena just outside Chicago.

A comeback that had been kept a secret from just about everyone, and one that seemed highly improbable as recently as a few months ago, actually happened. How did it come together after lots of signs that it wouldn’t?

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said during the post-show press conference — after leading off with a joke about the big return of the night belonging to R-Truth — it’s because it happened fast.

“This is one of those lightning in a bottle moments that came together very quickly,” Levesque said. “But we are incredibly excited about it. It’s been a long time. In some ways, it’s been a long time coming.”

“This came together super quick, which is why I’m sure it stayed tight,” he added. “There’s a lot of speculation at that point. It was nothing but speculation for most of the time. It didn’t really start to come to fruition until everyone stopped thinking it was going to happen. Then, all of a sudden, it was happening.”

Levesque also mentioned that a lot of time had passed since things went south between Punk and WWE, who famously had a falling out that led to his release in 2014. It seemed for years that a reunion was unlikely, with Punk accusing the company of ignoring his medical issues at the time and firing him on his wedding day.

Yet Levesque said that no one, not him, not WWE, and presumably Punk, are the same as they were 10 years ago. Everyone, as he sees it, is “on the same even starting ground.

Punk didn’t do much except walk out on stage, so the obvious follow-up was what would be next for him. On that note, Triple H didn’t tip his hand, secure in the knowledge that whatever it is, the wrestling world will be buzzing about it.

“That’ll be interesting, won’t it? I’m interested to see that myself. I know whatever it is, it’ll be talked about, it’ll be exciting, and it’ll be a thrill ride for the WWE Universe no matter what it is. I’m thrilled, we’re all thrilled, to have him back here in WWE, cliché to say to have him back home in WWE. It’s where he belongs.”

Watch: CM Punk makes shocking WWE return at Survivor Series

For the first time in nearly a decade, CM Punk appeared on a WWE broadcast at the end of Survivor Series.

WWE Survivor Series 2023 took place on Saturday night, featuring WarGames matches and title matches that had fans at the Allstate Arena in Chicago on the edge of their seats.

Of course, when the Windy City hosts a pro wrestling event, CM Punk‘s name inevitably becomes part of the conversation. This has been the case for much of the build-up to Survivor Series, taking off when AEW fired him after All In due to a backstage incident with Jack Perry.

Most of the Punk talk has been internet speculation. No reports stated that he would make an appearance at Survivor Series or that he had officially joined WWE. Fans have been eagerly anticipating his return to the company after a hiatus of nearly 10 years, when he famously left after the 2014 Royal Rumble premium live event.

So, on Saturday, fans wondered if Punk would make an appearance at Survivor Series, rejoin WWE, and become a part of the machine again — and that answer was yes.

As Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins celebrated their WarGames victory, with the credits ready to roll, “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour blared over the Allstate Arena speakers. And in what felt like an eternity between the song and his presence, out walked CM Punk.

“Never say never” is as perfect of a description as possible for this.

Now, Punk did nothing on stage. He greeted fans and soaked in the raucous atmosphere, and the show ended.

But the Straight Edge Superstar didn’t need to do anything. His presence alone did enough to create buzz and close Survivor Series in a way not seen since Sting’s WWE debut in 2014, and then some.

So, what Punk does next becomes the question as, again, he technically did nothing at Survivor Series. This gives fans reason to tune into Raw and SmackDown this week to see if he will appear on the show, have something to say, or do something more. Let’s see what’s next in the shocking second chapter of Punk’s WWE career.

Signs still point to no CM Punk at Survivor Series, but fans find one last hope in music

A remastered version of his entrance theme is keeping hope alive for some fans who want CM Punk at WWE Survivor Series.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/RPsU7YsBIyWJbpfqTk8-/1700489667084_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ia2ppaGd2anhsZnp1ZXNsems1ZmdlNGRnb2ZrZ3dvYm4iIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

What’s the day before WWE Survivor Series: WarGames in Chicago without one last check on the CM Punk situation, right? Like it or not, the possibility of Punk showing up at the Allstate Arena continues to hang over Saturday night’s show.

The most well-connected and respected pro wrestling insiders still think it’s unlikely that Punk is at the show. Dave Meltzer said in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required) that he’s seen “no evidence this is happening but admits it’s not impossible.

Of course the biggest question regarding the show probably involves C.M. Punk. If WWE was to bring in Punk, this night or Smackdown the night before would be the place to debut him. We’ve seen no evidence this is happening and those close to the situation have denied it, but it is possible it’s a well-kept secret.

Sean Ross Sapp wrote a lengthy Q&A running down everything he knows about Punk for Fightful Select (subscription required). His stance is essentially the same, noting that the facts point to no unless it is a very well-kept secret.

We’ve not reported one way or another that he will or won’t. He’s not featured on any graphics, rundowns, plans that we’ve heard of as of yet. We’ve heard nothing as of today to indicate he is, and so far, only solid information that would indicate he isn’t.

“Plans change” is an oft-made fun of thing, but that’s the nature of scripted pro wrestling. It can be scripted to change, and often does. Karrion Kross wasn’t signed at the start of the week when he returned. Will Ospreay signed his AEW contract after arriving at the venue last week. Dakota Kai was contacted for a return the day before Summerslam 2022.

WWE’s claim is that CM Punk won’t be there. Punk’s claim to friends is that he won’t be. This does not permanently close the door.

So the best hope for Punk fans invested in seeing him return in his hometown would seem to be a last second agreement. And in what is either foreshadowing or a massive coincidence, depending on how Survivor Series plays out, a remaster of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality,” Punk’s most famous entrance theme was released to music streaming services today — though there are also signs this isn’t actually a brand new remaster at all.

Even for those who are tired of the seemingly ceaseless circus that surrounds Punk, Survivor Series will be interesting as a test for whether WWE feels pressure to deliver something some segment of its fanbase wants and/or expects, or if it feels confident to stay the course during a time when most observers agree the company has been on a hot streak. It’s going to be an intriguing event either way.

[lawrence-related id=41453]

AEW Devil identity update: Sorry, it’s probably not CM Punk under the mask

Is it possible the person eventually revealed as the AEW Devil doesn’t even know it yet?

Like almost anyone else who follows pro wrestling, we’ve made our guesses as to who is under the Devil mask in AEW. Whoever it is started out with an attack on Jay White, but it’s clear in the weeks since that they are out to torment MJF as much as possible for as long as they can.

A new report on Fightful Select (subscription required and highly recommended) doesn’t solve the mystery, but it does eliminate a few suspects and reinforces an idea that means one specific person close to MJF can’t be ruled out.

It’s almost certainly not CM Punk

According to Fightful Select:

Those that we’ve spoken to are of the belief it isn’t CM Punk, and saying that it would be a huge work on those in the know if so. It goes without saying, but he hasn’t been portraying the person under the mask.

This idea simply won’t die, and CM Punk has conducted a masterclass in trolling to make sure it doesn’t. But would Tony Khan really think the payoff for a months-long work would compensate for the respect he’d lose after firing Punk and claiming he felt scared for his safety at All In?

That would seem like laughing at your fans, not with them, and we can’t see Khan doing that. Regardless, it hasn’t been Punk behind the mask to date.

But the person under the mask so far might not be who is revealed as the Devil

One can only hope that at some point, there’s a Scooby Doo-style reveal where the Devil is tied up and MJF gets to rip the mask off. Please.

But as Fightful Select notes, that doesn’t mean the person who has actually been portraying the Devil in their on-screen appearances will be the same one who eventually is revealed to be the mastermind.

The idea of a stand-in means that Adam Cole, for instance, can’t be completely ruled out — though Fightful says it’s not Britt Baker who’s been subbing for him in the meantime. If the Devil eventually turns out to be someone from outside AEW, this could also be buying the company time.

(So Dolph Ziggler and Mustafa Ali fans, don’t give up hope yet.)

Maybe the most potentially fun part of the report is this:

You may remember in the case of Retribution, not only were the eventual reveals not the people under the masks originally, but the talent themselves had no idea for a while they were planned for it.

Is it possible that even the Devil doesn’t know they’re going to be revealed as the Devil? That would be a great trick indeed.

[lawrence-related id=39055]

If you want to see CM Punk in WWE, keep chanting at shows, we guess

Could WWE more strongly reconsider a reunion with CM Punk if fans keep signaling they want to see it?

In the early days of the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” every episode’s credits ended with the phrase, “Keep circulating the tapes.” For the pre-internet, VHS era, this plea for enthusiasts to record episodes and swap them with others was the way to keep buzz for the series going, hopefully to the point of making a TV network feel it would be missing out by not airing the series.

Groundswells of fan support travel much differently in 2023, but the idea of fans pressuring companies with a sort of reverse FOMO still remains. For fans wishing to see CM Punk back in WWE, chanting his name at shows is the modern equivalent of “Keep circulating the tapes.”

Could it actually work and manifest a Punk signing? Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer thinks it’s possible. In his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), Meltzer says he has heard the same things that Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp and others have reported: that the people within WWE who would usually be tuned into a big return like Punk’s haven’t heard anything, and there’s no reason to think he’ll be showing up at Survivor Series.

However, Meltzer also suggests that the one thing that could make WWE reconsider its stance on Punk is if crowd responses signal there would be significant disappointment if the company doesn’t bring him back.

If they believe there is a fan groundswell for it, they could give it a shot. There were reports of chants for Punk at both the Saudi Arabia show and on the Raw show in Wilkes-Barre on 11/6. We had been privately told that fan response would be something that could change things from a negative, particularly not wanting for the crowd to loudly want him and not have it be delivered. We were also given the indication again this week that there’s nothing to the rumors, the feeling was a negative but fan response can change that and nothing is ever not ever.

There’s little debate over whether WWE needs Punk back. It certainly doesn’t, as business is good and the overall creative direction remains well regarded under Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

The question then becomes what percentage of fans would be upset if there’s no reunion. It’s clear there are a number of users of the service formerly known as Twitter that are convinced Punk is returning, and that WWE has been hinting toward it on its broadcasts over the past few months.

How angry will those people be if Survivor Series comes and goes? Will they revolt or simply have faith that Punk shows up down the road (like at Royal Rumble)? And how large a chunk of overall WWE fandom are they?

That remains to be seen. But for those invested in seeing Punk grace a WWE ring again, chanting for him at shows as a signal for how much they want to see it is the best thing they could be doing right now.

[lawrence-related id=39299]