CM Punk returned to wrestling for the first time since 2014 when he arrived in AEW in September of 2021.
The star was welcomed with open arms in his hometown of Chicago, IL on AEW Rampage: The First Dance. He went on to become a two-time AEW World Champion, his second title win coming as he defeated Jon Moxley at All Out.
However, CM Punk’s time in All Elite Wrestling was far from smooth sailing. Days after winning his first AEW World Title, he announced that he would need to take time away due to injury. He returned the following August, but his title victory over Moxley was overshadowed by the drama that followed All Out.
Speaking alongside Tony Khan in a media scrum following the show, Punk launched into a verbal tirade against former friend Colt Cabana, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and though he didn’t call them out by name, the company’s EVP’s, who he said “couldn’t manage a Target.”
Enraged, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega confronted Punk in his dressing room, and the brawl that ensued has now become the stuff of legend. Not only were punches thrown, Punk’s trainer and friend Ace Steel threw a chair at Nick Jackson as well as biting Omega. Everyone involved in the melee was suspended, and Punk and The Elite were stripped of the title’s they’d won just hours before.
CM Punk Wants To Return To Wrestling
While The Elite made their return to the company at Full Gear in November, Punk’s future remains up in the air. While he was reportedly making progress in talks to return, a now-deleted Instagram tirade renewed tensions between the two sides.
Punk’s longtime friend Dax Harwood recently confirmed his desire to return to AEW, and an update from Fightful Select shed more information on the situation, noting that Punk was even willing to work with The Elite. However, the report notes that The Elite are less keen on working with Punk after having such a public falling out.
Fightful Select also reports that Punk is “open to working elsewhere” if a return to AEW isn’t in the cards. However, the report notes that it’s unclear whether this would mean him working for Ring of Honor under the All Elite banner or whether it would mean pursuing options with promotions such as NJPW or WWE.