CM Punk has looked back on the last-minute discussions to get him signed to a WWE deal at Survivor Series and if there was a possibility that he would have decided not to return.
Although rumours of Punk returning circulated for a number of weeks heading into Survivor Series, no one truly knew if it would actually happen given his previous relationship with the company and the manner that his time at AEW ended. However, in one of the biggest moments of 2023, the Second City Saint did walk out in front of the Chicago crowd to a thunderous ovation.
Although both sides were able to come to a deal, Punk recently stated that there was a scenario where he could have decided to decline the offer. While appearing on O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson’s new podcast No-Contest Wrestling, Punk was asked if there was a chance he would have left without a deal, to which the former World Champion said that if there were some “hard no’s” then he may have reconsidered:
“Me Personally? There could have been if there were some hard no’s in the contracts, but I think both sides were eager. But then you get the lawyers involved, and it’s a lot. I get a text [saying] ‘We’re going to clear the hallway and come get you and put you in Triple H’s office.’ I run through the building and they put me in the freight elevator.
And it’s funny, because I know the building like the back of my hand. I’m like, the stairs are right around the corner. I could just walk down the stairs. I hear them on the other side of the doors yelling, ‘clear the hallway.’ ‘Oh no. I’m not that guy now.'”
Continuing, Punk also added that as the main event was underway he still did not have a deal signed, adding that Triple H said that if an agreement was reached then they would bring him forward to the Gorilla position:
“But they clear the hallway, the freight elevator door opens up and six steps this way is the door I’m walking into. I walk in, sit down, and I’m just in there. They are starting the WarGames match and I don’t have a deal yet. I’m sitting in there, the lawyers are going back and forth, hammering stuff out, and Triple H walks in and is like, ‘If this gets done, we’re just gonna wait, and when the time is right, we’ll bring you in through Gorilla.’ Ok, great.
Contracts get executed, and it’s time. Deep breath, open the door, walk through Gorilla, and there are so many people in Gorilla.”
CM Punk Recalls Further Chaos
Once the deal was reached, all that was left was for Punk’s music to play and for the Chicago native to make his triumphant return. However, as recounted by CM Punk, the final stage of the WWE return was anything but straightforward.
Also in the interview, CM Punk discussed his return on AEW Rampage.
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