CM Punk Wanted To Return To WWE At The 2023 Royal Rumble, Face Kevin Owens In WrestleMania 39 Main Event

CM Punk wanted to return to WWE and compete in the 2023 Royal Rumble after the 2022 AEW All Out incident.

It has been a tumultuous week regarding CM Punk. Last weekend at AEW All In, Punk was involved in yet another backstage altercation. However, this one would be different than those in the past in various ways. Namely, Punk not only fought with Jack Perry, he also reportedly lunged at AEW president Tony Khan while furiously quitting the company.

These events would leave Khan no other choice but to fire the Chicago native with cause, despite Punk’s drawing power and status as the companies “real world’s champion”. Punk has yet to comment on the matter.

Punk has had an intense history of backstage drama in the promotion, with the AEW All Out Brawl perhaps being the most infamous incident in All Elite Wrestling’s short history and more recently, Punk has been reported to have had issues with several AEW stars backstage.

Following the All Out Brawl, Punk’s future with the company remained in doubt and it seems Punk was also doubtful of continuing his run with the promotion.

Fightful Select now reports that there were tentative plans for Punk to return in the 2023 Royal Rumble match. It is important to stress that these plans have not been confirmed by Punk or his camp.

CM Punk and WWE working together has seemed out of the realm of possibility for years, but people close to him say the idea was on the table from his end. After the Brawl Out situation, Punk was on the sidelines following surgery to repair an injury he sustained at All Out 2022. During that time, things were still contentious with AEW and Punk, though he was in contact with AEW founder Tony Khan. Those close to Punk claim that around December 2022, Punk was open to leaving AEW, and even encouraged the idea so he could make a WWE return. Specifically, we’ve heard that he wanted to appear at the 2023 Royal Rumble. However, we’ve not heard and traction to WWE having interest in such a thing, or that AEW were actually entertaining the idea of giving Punk his release at that point. One of the rumored ideas that Punk had – not confirmed with he or his camp – actually made its way back to some WWE talent. The idea was that Punk would return at the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble, and work match at WWE WrestleMania against the person who would eventually eliminate him. Word within WWE was that Kevin Owens was the name thrown around. He’d go on to main event night one of WrestleMania.

Fightful Select

Punk made his AEW debut back in 2021 after seven years away from the industry, and of course was no stranger to controversy throughout his All Elite Wrestling run, as noted previously.

We recently reported an exclusive story of how CM Punk and William Regal got into it shortly after Regal’s promotional debut back at AEW Revolution 2022.

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