The dust is still settling around CM Punk‘s return to his former professional home, but with each appearance being planned for upcoming WWE events, there are still questions that fans are wondering about, notably if his future will be a reflection of his past problems in AEW. Tony Khan called Punk’s firing the “right move” for that company, but did the superstar feel the same way about being dropped from the gig that he chose for his big return to the industry?
Noted wrestling insider Dave Meltzer shared the alleged answer to that quesion on The Wrestling Observer, and readers might be surprised. Here is what the pundit had to say (via Ringsidenews.com) about CM Punk’s feelings over being fired from AEW , which went down following an alleged confrontation backstage at All In 2023. According to Meltzer:
He was not that upset when he was fired. I was told he was not looking to be fired, but he was not that upset about being fired.
It is pretty shocking to hear CM Punk wasn’t overly upset about the termination, especially given how beloved he was by the AEW fandom. Assuming this report is valid, it does make me wonder whether or not the superstar realized he had a potential homecoming ready with the WWE after he went and squashed beef with other superstars before a Monday Night Raw earlier in the year. In the sense that the sting of the firing may have been lessened by the knowledge that there was a spot potentially waiting for him elsewhere.
It’s also possible that, following the event at All In 2023 and the suspension he received as a result of the aftermath of an altercation at All Out 2022, CM Punk accepted his time at AEW reached its end. Coming back after two high-profile backstage incidents would’ve been tough, especially when working with other superstars who witnessed it.
Additionally, one would assume those incidents wouldn’t have happened without Punk feeling dissatisfied in some way with his time at AEW, or at least that’s what WWE is likely hoping. While wrestling fans are thrilled to see the Chicago native back in the saddle at the company that made him a legendary superstar, there is a crowd wondering if his behind-the-scenes issues will follow him.
The WWE has played up on that speculation, and fans saw Seth Rollins‘ and Drew McIntyre’s disgruntled reactions to his return at Survivor Series. It seems evident that the WWE is planning for CM Punk to feud with Rollins, and McIntyre could also be worked into the mix at some point, assuming he’s still with the company after being left off the Royal Rumble poster.
While the latest report about CM Punk’s feelings doesn’t confirm or deny whether or not he’ll have issues with the WWE, it does help push the growing narrative that the frustration of working for AEW played into those incidents. Time will tell if Punk ends up having the same issues in the WWE that he had in AEW, but so far, it’s looking like a wonderful reunion.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. CM Punk has been hopping around all of the WWE’s branded shows lately, but I would be shocked if he won’t be a staple on the flagship Monday show for the foreseeable future.