After leaving WWE it was widely believed that CM Punk would never wrestle again.
The star himself even repeatedly stated that he was done while embarking on a career in MMA. However, the creation of AEW changed his perspective, and eventually, talks began over a remarkable comeback.
This resulted in CM Punk walking out on AEW Rampage “The First Dance,” on August 20th, 2021. After signing with the company, Punk’s first rivalry was with Darby Allin, and the storyline culminated in a match at All Out which the former WWE star won.
Since then, Punk’s time in AEW has been marred by backstage fights (sometimes literally) and bucket loads of controversy, while in the ring his rivalry with MJF will be remembered for years.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T reflected on CM Punk’s run in AEW to date, suggesting that his presence has had a negative impact on the company. The WWE Hall of Famer said that he doesn’t think Punk cares about AEW, adding that while he could have been a leader “you get what you get” with him.
“I don’t think CM Punk came in there to care about AEW,” Booker T said. “I think he came in there to say what he was going to do, and that was get a big bag and have some big matches and do some cool things… Do you think he really came in there to help that company or help those guys? Because the first person he worked with was Darby Allin. Darby has cooled off tremendously since that match.”
CM Punk’s AEW Status Remains Unclear
CM Punk hasn’t featured for AEW since All Out in September 2022, but it has been heavily reported that he will be back on the debut episode of AEW Collision on June 17th. However, that appears to be far from clear-cut.
Talks between Punk and the company have hit trouble over the topic of Ace Steel and his own potential return to a backstage role. At time of writing, there remains no official comment on CM Punk’s AEW future.
H/t to Wrestling Inc