WWE Source Close To Triple H Reportedly Down On CM Punk Return

With reports that AEW and CM Punk may be in talks about a contract buyout after the backstage incident following All Out, natural curiosity poses the question: would WWE consider re-signing Punk? According to Wade Keller of PWTorch.com, Paul "Triple H" Levesque would be open to anything that gets eyes on the product, even if it was someone polarizing like Punk — but not everyone is on board.

"Paul Levesque, while he thinks Punk personality-wise might be more trouble than he's worth, has shown a history of recognizing wrestlers who are over with today's fans that he himself might not have predicted would be over," Keller said. "Somebody who's currently in WWE and is within the sphere of influence of Paul Levesque's decision-making would be a hard 'no' as of me asking this person today. A hard 'no' on endorsing the return of CM Punk, even if it would help business."

The truth regarding what happened between Punk and The Elite's Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks after All Out remains unclear, but one person involved in the brawl, CM Punk's coach Ace Steel, has reportedly been released from the company altogether, and Keller's sources seem to think not many people in AEW would be upset if Punk followed Steel out the door.

"I asked, 'How would a vote go in the AEW locker room if they were asked if they wanted Punk to return?'" Keller said. "One person said he wouldn't fare very well. Another person said he thinks he might not get a single vote. And someone else says he doesn't think he'd get many votes."

Punk signed with AEW in September 2021 after infamously walking out of WWE in 2014.The closest he ever got to returning to WWE occurred in 2019, when he appeared on Fox's "WWE Backstage" show.