AEW hosted their All Out pay-per-view event in September and the annual tradition ended in controversy due to a situation around CM Punk. The former WWE Superstar spoke up in the media scrum following the event where he went beyond the line about some of his colleagues and thereby dragged backlash onto it.
CM Punk literally went on a rant on the likes of Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks and verbally blasted them in the process. Experiencing the consequences, the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion got involved in a backstage brawl where he got into a physical confrontation with The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega. As a result, AEW suspended everyone involved in the brawl including a producer Ace Steel.
AEW Dynamite: CM Punk And The Elite Stripped Of World And Trios Championships
It now seems like the AEW run of CM Punk is over as Wrestling Observer is reporting that there are talks within the company to buy out the official contract of the talent so that he won’t have to return to the promotion, ever again. If a no-compete clause isn’t an issue, the source also noted that there are obvious chances that he might be pursued by the WWE, thereafter.
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WWE Officials open to bring back CM Punk in the right circumstance
Speculations have been running rampant as to whether or not CM Punk would return to WWE if and when he is freed from his AEW contract. To add to the situation, Fightful Select reports that sources in the WWE speaking on background revealed that the new Triple H regime isn’t backing down to bring him back. They’re open to “anything within reason” for the right money, creative, and situation.
“Triple H wants to be a success and make compelling programming more than anything,” the source noted. “CM Punk back in WWE is compelling programming, but I can’t see it being a full-time deal like what he has in AEW, because of exactly what happened in AEW. That’s even if he has interest. If he gets a buyout, he may not need to work again.”
CM Punk infamously walked out of WWE in January 2014 and he was later fired in June of that year. After that, he stayed away from professional wrestling for a period of seven years before making his AEW debut in August of 2021. It was during AEW All Out PPV itself, he won his second AEW world heavyweight championship, only to vacate it.
