CM Punk might have been laying the groundwork for a return to WWE during a visit in April.
The two-time AEW World Champion stunned the wrestling world when it was revealed he made a backstage visit to the April 24th episode of Raw. Not only was this the first time that Punk had been at a WWE taping since his acrimonious departure in 2014, but it came a little over a month before he returned to AEW.
The visit sparked an incredible amount of speculation with some feeling Punk was putting out feelers for a return should his AEW comeback fail. While backstage, it is believed that Punk spoke with Triple H and cleared the air with The Miz before being asked to leave by Vince McMahon.
Interestingly, it seems that the feelings extended within WWE.
With Punk now a free agent after being fired by AEW, there’s been a great deal of speculation that he could head back to WWE. There have even been reports that the two sides are in talks.
A report from Fightful Select noted that WWE higher-ups believe Punk would sign with the company if WWE was interested. However, it’s claimed that Punk still has significant heat within the company, and both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have made no secret of the fact they don’t like him.
With regard to his visit in April, a WWE source stated that “he was looking to get his job back.” But based on how things went, they now feel a return is unlikely. Others felt Punk was trying to gain some allies given his road back to AEW had already been far from straightforward.
CM Punk Seen As A “Safe Bet” For Survivor Series
The report from Fightful came it was reported that CM Punk is being seen as a “safe bet” to appear at Survivor Series. The event is set to take place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois which is a suburb of Chicago — Punk’s hometown.
WWE also seemingly referenced CM Punk on the October 6th episode of SmackDown.