CM Punk will not be returning to WWE — or so says a new report.
Despite earlier claims to the contrary, on October 10th it was reported that CM Punk was not in talks with WWE. A higher-up within the company suggested that any talk of Punk re-signing was false, and he’s not planned for a return.
With regard to the number of apparent teases on television, these were said to be down to the wrestlers involved themselves, with some even doing it just to get under Punk’s skin.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer has now claimed that WWE turned Punk down, with the star wanting to rejoin the company.
“They turned him down. He wanted to go there and the decision was a no. It can always change, and it was brought up to me, there’s no such thing as ‘no forever’ when it comes to WWE, but it’s no for now.
That was the decision that was made. It’s Vince’s decision. Vince, Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, and obviously they decided that the negatives outweighed the positives.”
While Punk won’t be returning, WWE is bringing back WarGames at Survivor Series.
When Was CM Punk Last Signed To WWE?
CM Punk hasn’t stepped into a WWE ring since the 2014 Royal Rumble. Following the show, Punk walked out citing problems with injuries and burnout. The star later alleged that he was pressured into working injured, and his concerns weren’t taken seriously. This compounded existing frustration regarding creative.
Although Punk appeared on WWE Backstage in 2019, this was via FOX and not the sports entertainment giant.
Due to the acrimonious nature of his exit after which he retired for seven years, most expected Punk to never work for WWE again.
H/t to Wrestle Talk