The story began in 2014 when CM Punk walked out on WWE after being eliminated from the Royal Rumble due to Kane's interference. News began circulating that Punk had left that night's taping of "Raw," walking out after a meeting with Vince McMahon and Triple H, and it became clear he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

CM Punk mainly remained silent until speaking on Colt Cabana's podcast, "The Art of Wrestling," where Punk listed off every grievance he had with the WWE system, most of all their lack of care for his health. He confirmed that after a tense meeting with Triple H and McMahon, he went home and stayed there.

After the tell-all interview, Punk and Cabana were sued by WWE doctor Christopher Amann for defamation, and in 2018, the jury ruled in the wrestlers' favor. Cabana then took Punk to court for alleged breach of contract and fraud, and after Punk counter-sued, both his and Cabana's lawsuits were dismissed in late 2019.

Chants of Punk's name became a rallying cry for bored fans, and despite being gone so long, it was clear his name still had power. When "Cult of Personality" played and his promo for AEW began, he told the story of his departure from Ring of Honor in 2005, noting, "August 13, 2005, I left professional wrestling. August 20, 2021 ... I'm back."

CM Punk set his sights on the AEW Championship, so a match between Punk and Hangman Page was set for the main event of Double or Nothing 2022. The feud wasn't as heated as many would have hoped, especially after Punk was injured, and their rivalry might have been more legitimate than we knew.