Why did CM Punk make his shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series?
Why did WWE bring Punk back, when they could risk poisoning their own locker room?
And what does this mean for the promotion that fired him, All Elite Wrestling?
Breaking news: Look in my eyes, what do you see?
Punk’s gonna cause controversy.
Right at the very end of Survivor Series 2023, after the culmination of the 5 on 5 Men’s
War Games match, even after the WWE copyright logo appeared in the bottom corner.
I will never trust you for as long as I live, copyright logo.
CM Punk made his shocking return to WWE for the first time in almost a decade, in his
hometown of Chicago - where he immediately angered loads of people off.
Drew McIntyre reportedly stormed out the building.
Seth Rollins exploded in a fit of kayfabe fury, likely masking actual shoot fury.
And this guy, Oli Davis, who’s been making ‘CM Punk WWE Return Confirmed’ jokes for
six years, felt a bit let down.
Punk had returned to wrestling, yay, but what did it cost?
Only everything he once claimed to stand for.
Just two days after Punk’s return on the 25th November, 2023, the 27th marks nine years
since the release of arguably the most explosive wrestling shoot interview of all time: CM
Punk appearing on Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling Podcast.
To fully understand the reasons why Punk returned to WWE, we first have to understand why he
quit / was fired in the first place.
Which Punk detailed in great, almost libelous depth on his infamous 2014 interview.
Punk walked out on WWE after getting concussed in the 2014 Royal Rumble, no showing the following
night’s episode of Raw.
He kept mostly silent on the reasons why until November later that year, where Cabana released
a tell-all podcast with his then-best friend Punk (a lawsuit over the podcast, that Punk
alleged WWE was funding, would later destroy their relationship, which would become one
of the main factors in the Elite souring on him in AEW - IT’S ALL CONNECTED).
In the interview, Punk’s reasons for quitting WWE can be grouped together into four categories:
medical mistreatment, personal vendetta, perceived unfairness…
and Ryback.
He hated Ryback.
That one’s pretty self explanatory.
Before I get into these, you’ve got to remember 2014 WWE was a very different place to Triple
H-run fed a decade later.
Hell, Triple H was a very different person in 2014 to a decade later.
Or at least that’s what he’s convinced us all of.
While some of Punk’s issues might come across as trivial now, or WWE might have since improved
on, most wrestlers backstage at the time told Dave Meltzer they loved what
Punk said.
In the medical mistreatment section, Punk claimed
he was often pressured or even booked to work despite being injured or, at some points,
still recovering from surgery - giving the example of famed orthopedic surgeon James
Andres once clearing Punk’s knee injury over the phone (which Punk described as “witch
doctor-y bulls***”).
The most explosive accusation was Punk alleging WWE doctor Chris Amann misdiagnosed and improperly
treated his staph infection - which could have killed him.
Amann would later sue both Punk and Cabana for defamation.
Although Punk and Cabana won that case, it caused years of stress and their relationship
was irreparably damaged by the strain.
PWInsider, however, have reported that Amann retired from WWE in September 2022 - removing
that obstacle from Punk’s return.
Getting rid of people to solve personnel disputes, how dated.
You want to make a whole different show for the people Punk doesn’t like.
That always works!
Punk also had many grievances against WWE for the opportunities they did or did not
give him.
His complaints weren’t just limited to booking, like losing to Brock or Undertaker or Rock,
or not getting to main event WrestleMania like he believed he deserved.
Perhaps a condition of Punk’s return is that Mania main event that eluded him.
It extended to opportunities outside the ring, which, coincidentally, involved the man who
also made his return at Survivor Series 2023, Randy Orton.
Punk spoke about being very excited when Triple H offered him the lead in 12 Rounds 2.
Not so much because he wanted to star in a crap movie.
But because it meant he would get time off to heal from injuries.
Punk pointed out, though, that filming dates would clash with WWE’s European tour.
Triple H replied: no they won’t.
Punk said ‘yeah they will’.
Triple H said he doesn’t know when the European tour dates would be, and Punk said he does,
because they’re in the same November month like they have been for years.
Triple H said he’d go away and check, and the next day, without the courtesy of a phone
call (pattern of behavior there), Punk found out on the Internet that the role had in fact
gone to Randy Orton…
fittingly from outta nowhere.
Punk was also angered when he was told he absolutely couldn’t have sponsors on his
ring gear, for Brock Lesnar to turn up with his Jimmy Johns shorts soon after.
WWE was very restrictive in the type of contracts it offered in the early 2010s.
But because of those deals with the Rock, Lesnar and others, modern WWE contracts have
been significantly more flexible - letting the wrestlers have far more control over when
they work, and outside projects.
The breakdown in Punk’s relationship with WWE felt personified in his relationship with
Triple H. In Punk’s booking of it, Trips was the ultimate heel back then.
There was the weird European tour situation backstage.
There was Punk turning down a WrestleMania non-main event against Hunter.
And there was the accusation that it was Triple H that fired Punk on his wedding day.
Despite leaving WWE in January 2014, Punk revealed he was fired, through a Federal Express
letter, on the 13th June - the day of his wedding to AJ Lee.
Punk claimed the company knew about the importance of that date, as he had requested time off
for it and the honeymoon.
And because AJ Lee was still working for them at the time and had done the same.
Punk claimed he had even spoken to Triple H just two days beforehand over the phone
about the wedding.
Because Punk was fired, rather than his contract simply expiring - which would’ve happened
in a matter of weeks anyway - this severely impacted Punk’s royalty payments, and suddenly
meant he had a one-year non-compete clause - meaning he couldn’t appear for any other
wrestling promotions or the UFC.
It’s Triple H’s fault Punk wasn’t an MMA success.
Being suddenly hit with that, on the morning of your wedding, was probably quite frustrating.
And Punk blamed this on Trips.
But like I said earlier, Triple H has changed a lot from his old evil ways.
This was pre-us all loving him for NXT.
Punk returning to WWE almost a decade later shows that he must believe Triple H is a good
person again.
That they can talk about their shared love of wrestling, and how they can put on the
best product for WWE fans.
And also because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And they both hate AEW.
Dave Meltzer has compared CM Punk’s WWE return to Cody Rhodes’ move in 2022.
That’s two people I love who told me they’d never leave AEW.
Quick, sign Prince Nana to a twenty year deal!
Meltzer argues that Cody leaving AEW for WWE was the real start of the wrestling war momentum
shifting, the beginning of WWE’s business being the hottest it’s been in decades.
He believes Punk will have a similar effect, unless he screws it all up backstage!
Punk might’ve been plotting this even before his return to AEW on the premiere episode
of Collision on the 17th June.
Just six weeks before then, while still under contract with AEW, he showed up backstage
at an episode of Raw in Chicago.
He was seen having a 1-2 minute long conversation with Triple H, where they shook hands.
Punk also reportedly spoke to the Miz, where they “cleared the air” for Punk once telling
Miz to “go suck a blood money covered dick in Saudi Arabia you f****** dork.”
This reconciliation with Trips, maybe over a shared hate for AEW, was a shrew move.
As another reason Punk returned was that Vince no longer has creative control.
After doing his own thing for about five years, writing comics, losing in the UFC, acting
in horror b-movies, Punk suddenly softened his stance on returning to wrestling.
In a weird way, he actually already kind of returned to WWE.
In 2019, as part of the billion dollar deal that put SmackDown on Fox, the Network wanted
to launch a new sports show that wasn’t afraid to tackle shoot stories behind the
scenes.
And its special host was CM Punk.
Fox reportedly pressured WWE to take Punk back, and Punk himself teased in a Reddit
AMA that all it would take for him to return is a “very big bag” of money.
Principles!
But Vince McMahon refused, with Wrestling Observer Radio reporting there’s only two
guys Vince never wants to do business with again - CM Punk, and Alberto Del Rio.
Looks, I know Punk is controversial.
But that is some unfair company.
Oh no.
Alberto del Rio WWE return confirmed.
No, NO!
It appears Vince’s removal from power meant he could no longer block CM Punk’s comeback.
Wrestling Observer Radio have reported WWE re-signing Punk did not involve McMahon, who
has found himself increasingly powerless in the new TKO corporate structure.
It wasn’t even led by Triple H. Instead, it was the decision of WWE President Nick
Khan - the man responsible for signing WWE’s new TV deals.
Remember that for later, as that could be the most important reason of all for why Punk
came back.
WWE has had a financially booming 2023, mostly thanks to the star power of Roman Reigns rising
all boats.
But his Bloodline story has cooled massively since August’s SummerSlam, and Reigns himself
is increasingly absent from WWE TV.
For the first time in months, WrestleNomics has reported WWE live event ticket sales - which
are seen as the canary in the coalmine for a promotion’s momentum - has seen negative
market-to-market performance, with November having a significant decrease in attendance.
Dave Meltzer has speculated WWE signing Punk is a way to “jump-start” their live events
business from its “plateau” And that’s it.
That’s all the reasons in my notes.
Punk has bonded with Triple H, Vince is no longer a factor, they can sell a few tickets,
and it’ll hurt AEW.
Guess that’s the end of the video Wait, what are you doing here WWE copyright logo?
I don’t trust you, I don’t trust you!
[DAVID ZASLAV SCREEN] This is David Zaslav.
He is the CEO and President of Warner Bros Discovery - the company that owns the networks
on which AEW airs.
He’s also, according to CM Punk, CM Punk’s biggest fan.
On Punk’s AEW return promo on that premiere episode of Collision, he took a shot at Matt
and Nick Jackson, calling them “counterfeit Bucks”, whereas he, in comparison, is a
big money draw - saying: “You know what David Zaslav calls me?
One Bill Phil.”
The ‘bill’ was referencing the then reported, but then dismissed, 1 billion dollar deal
AEW was looking for from Zaslav’s company, WBD.
According to Punk, at least, he’s a big deal in getting big money TV contracts.
And that’s exactly what both WWE and AEW are looking for in 2024.
And Punk might be the Kingmaker.
WWE President Nick Khan has already negotiated new even bigger money deals for SmackDown
moving back to the USA Network, and NXT going to CW.
He only has Raw left to sort out, who’s deal with the USA Network expires in September
2024.
AEW’s deal with Warner Bros Discovery expires at the end of 2024.
Punk’s return could signal WWE’s intention to knock AEW off its own network, as Brandon
Thurston speculates: “For what it's worth- With Monday Night
Raw rights still on the market, WWE now has the wrestler who (according to Phil) David
Zaslav called One-Bill Phil.”
Nick Khan is in charge of the Raw TV negotiations.
He’s also the man who led the charge on bringing Punk back.
In August, it was reported WBD was interested in making a play for WWE programming.
In the UK, WWE already airs on WBD stations.
And with Punk’s deal a reported multi-year one, Khan can go into negotiations promising
not just a few months of a big star, but the length of a whole TV contract.
Unless Punk gets injured every other month, of course.
So expect Punk to be mostly on Raw to drive that show’s viewership and star power as
Nick Khan negotiates its new TV deal behind the scenes.
And one parting doomsday scenario thought.
WWE often write into their TV contracts that they are the exclusive wrestling provider
for those Networks.
With SmackDown, NXT and potentially Raw on different stations, the options for AEW’s
own new TV deal, and their negotiating leverage, becomes severely limited.
How do you think CM Punk’s WWE move will affect the wrestling industry?
Let me know in the comments down below.
And does AEW actually make money?
Watch our deep dive into those financials to find out.