CM Punk walking down the ramp at WWE Survivor Series War Games. (Photo courtesy ESPN)
Last Saturday, the wrestling world was surprised by the return of wrestler CM Punk at Survivor Series War Games. Punk’s return back inside a WWE ring had fans screaming for joy for minutes. The return saw WWE’s social media page reach 1 million likes and 25 million views in 24 hours. Wrestling fans have waited for this return for ten years, but the question is, how did we get here?
In January of 2014 after the Royal Rumble, Punk left WWE due to personal reasons. Weeks and months went by when fans and employees of the WWE wondered if Punk would ever return. Months later, Punk revealed on the Art Wrestling Podcast that his personal reasons status was really a two-month suspension from WWE due to missing live events, television, and paper view events.
On the podcast, Punk revealed that he was fired from WWE on the same day as his wedding day. He also revealed that he was done wrestling and retired due to loss of sleep, failure to main event WrestleMania 30, being paid less money, and his back-and-forth issues with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, and Chief Operating Officer Paul Triple H Levesque who is the son and law to Vince McMahon.
Punk’s leave from the WWE was interesting. He fought in the UFC with his weight class as a welterweight. Punk had a 0-1 record and one no-contest.
Punk appeared on the Fox Sports 1 series titled, WWE Backstage as a special guest.
In 2021, CM Punk signed to AEW which shocked fans and media outlets. Many wrestling fans said that AEW would outnumber WWE talent and ratings because of their roster, especially after acquiring Punk. Since becoming a company in January 2019, AEW has acquired former employees and wrestlers from WWE.
Punk at AEW was the champion and had many matches. However, Punk was fired by AEW in the summer of 2023 because of an altercation with AEW fighter Jack Perry.
In the weeks leading up to WWE’s Survivor Series War games in Chicago, Illinois, WWE fans were speculating if Punk would return to the WWE for this event since Punk is from Chicago.
For the past decade, wrestling fans have spread misinformation about Punk on when he would return, rumors, and lies about him returning to the company.
Punks return entrance had the entire All-State Arena in Chicago screaming for joy.
In the moment of Punk’s historic return, WWE wrestler Seth Rollins showed his frustration by going off script. Rollins had a shouting match outside the ring, shouting at Punk with security and WWE employees having to hold Rollins back.
WWE announcer Michael Cole expressed his anger by going off script while on air, throwing his microphone to the ground instead of reacting and covering Punk’s return.
Many fans on social media have been calling this the greatest return in WWE history.
The return set social media on fire, as WWE received 1 million likes on their social media platforms and 25 million views in 24 hours.
Punk's return shows why the WWE needs him and why the wrestling world will finally rejoice with Punk now back in the WWE.
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