CM Punk reveals the day he knew he was returning to WWE

WWE fans were left stunned when CM Punk made his return to pro wrestling at Survivor Series in November. This unexpected comeback occurred only a few months after Punk’s departure from AEW, and he has recently disclosed when he first became aware of his return to the company based in Stamford.

Despite infamously walking out on WWE in January 2014, the Second City Saint’s return to the business seemed unlikely until his signing with All Elite Wrestling in August 2021. Punk’s time with AEW was marked by controversy and ultimately ended in September of last year after an incident involving Jack Perry led to the termination of his contract.

During his appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Punk shared the moment he made the decision to return to WWE. Despite having previous interest, the former AEW World Champion revealed that it was WWE President Nick Khan’s call just before Survivor Series that sparked the comeback. When asked by Helwani about the timeline of his return, Punk disclosed the details.

“Slight percentages, I think, over the years, start that ball rolling, but to really get in it… the action of it started the week of, I think, of Thanksgiving, maybe. I’d have to look at a calendar to figure out dates exactly. I remember times and places of where I was when I would get phone calls and such, um, and I had a CFCC show coming up, I think. So, I got a call from Nick Khan, and he was just like, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you,’ and I was like, ‘Cool, I’m on my way to the gym and I got this coming up, CFCC, I’ll be back…,’ [Nick Khan said] ‘Cool, you want to talk Monday? Great.’ So, it was the week of Thanksgiving, Monday, I spoke to him,”CM Punk said. [From -1:36:10 to -1:39:45]

After discussing, Punk and Helwani determined that the phone call informing him of his return came just 5 days before Survivor Series. Punk also disclosed that he had a FaceTime conversation with Triple H on the Friday prior to his return, and that everything had to be quickly arranged in order for his comeback to take place.

CM Punk’s potential for a WWE return remains uncertain

On the September 2, 2023, edition of Collision, AEW President Tony Khan announced that CM Punk’s contract was terminated due to just cause after his fight with Jack Perry at All In.

After an investigation and a unanimous recommendation from the AEW disciplinary committee and outside legal counsel, Khan announced that Punk’s contract with the company had been terminated. It was speculated that legal restrictions prevented the parties involved from speaking publicly about the incident, and it was assumed that Punk was bound by a non-compete agreement.

During his appearance on The MMA Hour, Punk disclosed that he was not bound by a non-compete clause with AEW. This was confirmed when he was asked about his discussions with WWE officials regarding a potential comeback just days before his surprise appearance at Survivor Series.

“I think the call… I’m always so nervous about pulling the curtain back on stuff, but I think the call was more of a, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you about coming back, we’d love you for the Royal Rumble.’ You know, because they assumed that I probably had some sort of non-compete or something like that, and they were kind of floored when I was like, ‘Nah, man… ready to go, let’s do it!’”CM Punk said. [From -1:39:46 to -1:49:35]

After being let go by AEW, Punk verified that he had the option to sign with WWE the following day without any legal issues. He remembered having a conversation with WWE President Nick Khan, who expressed his regret for not knowing about Punk’s non-compete agreement before their call. In a lighthearted manner, Punk joked with Khan about keeping a low profile and refraining from contacting anyone for a couple of months.