A new report sheds light on CM Punk’s presence backstage at IMPACT Wrestling.
On October 21st, IMPACT Wrestling presented a well-received Bound for Glory pay-per-view. The show was certainly a newsworthy one, announcing that the company will be re-adopting its TNA namesake in early 2024.
However, the next night’s television tapings made headlines as well when none other than CM Punk was spotted backstage. Back in September, shortly after Tony Khan announced that Punk had been released from his AEW contract, Fightful Select reported that though it was a long shot, those in IMPACT were excited about the potential of Punk working there. The star previously visited IMPACT back in April.
Now, after Haus of Wrestling reported that Punk was backstage at the IMPACT tapings on October 22nd, speculation once again began to swirl about the star’s future, particularly amidst reports that WWE turned down CM Punk following his exit from AEW.
Will CM Punk Sign With IMPACT Wrestling?
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Punk was seen as “helpful” backstage during his recent visit to IMPACT. He also reportedly made a good impression when he visited back in April.
Continuing, Fightful reports that friends of Punk don’t believe he’s looking to sign with the brand at this time, but he certainly could if he woke up one day and decided he wanted to have matches with some of IMPACT’s top talent. Another source said Punk would consider signing under the right circumstances.
Of course, a major hurdle to Punk signing with IMPACT would be salary negotiations. According to Fightful Select, Punk was making 15-20 times the salary of top IMPACT stars during his time with All Elite Wrestling.
Punk’s longtime friend Ace Steel was recently hired as a producer with IMPACT. While some may wonder if this move is in an attempt to lure Punk to sign with them as well, Fightful Select reports that IMPACT was interested in Steel when he was let go from AEW in the wake of the All Out brawl, when Punk was not yet available.