Now, if you’ve been putting your ear to the mat of the squared circle, then you’ve likely already heard the scuttlebutt around CM Punk potentially heading to AEW sometime in the near future. And while the announcement hasn’t been made official yet, there are multiple outlets that have reported on the possibility of the deal. So, while nothing is set in stone, I think we can move beyond the “take this with a grain of salt” area and put it more in the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” territory. Still and all, if I had my way, CM Punk would be heading back to the WWE, not AEW.
And yes, I know, I know. Why, right? AEW is the new brand to beat, and WWE has faltered way too many times in the past with poor booking and some questionable PPV events. Still, I think that CM Punk returning to the WWE would actually be better for wrestling as a whole than if he went to AEW, which might soon also be the home of Daniel Bryan. I know this might sound crazy since a lot of fans feel that the WWE did CM Punk dirty when he was still wrestling underneath their brand. But I have five reasons why it might be good for the self-proclaimed “Best in the World” to head back to the land of McMahon.
CM Punk Would Bring Audiences Back to WWE
I’ll be blunt. The WWE isn’t doing too great right now, viewership-wise. Yes, you can chalk that up to the pandemic, but some of those numbers are looking pretty damn dismal, especially when it comes to Monday Night Raw. The long-running weekly show recently suffered its lowest ratings in its 28-year history. Now, granted, we’re far removed from the glory days of The Attitude Era where Monday Night Raw felt like vital viewing. But still, for the WWE to be suffering this badly definitely shows that it needs a shot in the arm to get fans to want to come back.
And CM Punk would be that shot in the arm. CM Punk may have been away since 2014, but people still chant his name at events sometimes, as that’s the fandom he acquired during his time with the company. Do I think he could single-handedly build the promotion back up to legendary status? No. The WWE is still making unwise decisions that the fans don’t like, such as Jeff Hardy recently ending NXT champion, Karrion Kross’ winning streak. But do I think that acquiring Punk would go a long way in getting fans on board again? I do, as fans still seem to love the one and only CM Punk.
CM Punk Would Have An Interesting New Roster To Feud With
Back when CM Punk was still in the WWE, he had feuds with the likes of The Undertaker, John Cena, Jeff Hardy, and Brock Lesnar. And while sure, some of those same wrestlers are still in the WWE, I highly doubt (Or at least hope) that the writers wouldn’t try to start those old feuds over again if CM Punk ever returned to the WWE. Then again, knowing the WWE …
Still and all, I would hope that they would try to at least utilize their current roster. No, I wouldn’t particularly want to see CM Punk feuding with Bobby Lashley, but I think it would be cool to see him go head-to-head with Drew McIntyre, Shinsuke Nakamura, or “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt! Come on, WWE. I want CM Punk vs. Bray Wyatt. I miss them both.
He Has Even More Things To Rail On The WWE About Now Than Before
Now look, CM Punk could never repeat his Pipe Bomb shoot. It’s just not going to happen. That said, CM Punk probably has even more he could rail on the WWE about now than he even did back in 2011. For one thing, the main roster of the WWE is treating NXT like a joke, even though NXT is pretty much better than anything the main roster has to offer. And the Women’s League is still pretty crummy, even after all these years.
And let’s not forget that a lot of the things that plagued the WWE back then, like part timers such as The Rock and now John Cena swooping in for PPVs and disappearing for the rest of the year is still just as prevalent today as it was back when Punk was still wrestling. In a lot of ways, Punk always said what the fans were thinking, and we need that voice now more than ever in the WWE.
His Unpredictability Would Be Exciting In The WWE's Currently Stagnant Storylines
One massive problem with the WWE is that it feels so terribly scripted. Wrestlers will shoot promos that you can tell were written beforehand because they’re stumbling all over their lines. Roman Reigns has gotten a lot better as of late cutting promos ever since his heel turn, but he used to be one of the very worst. Part of the reason why he was such a bad face was because they had him delivering some of the corniest, crappiest lines imageable.
But CM Punk has always been the real “charismatic enigma” because you never knew what the hell he was going to say. I know the WWE has been really careful with what their wrestlers say during their still ongoing PG era, but Punk always found a way around that. He wouldn’t curse or anything like that, but he could still cut to the heart. And that’s what always made him fun to watch, both inside and outside the ring. If anybody could liven up these currently stale WWE storylines, it’s the Straight Edge Superstar.
Punk Could Finally Main Event WrestleMania
Lastly, despite his long-run as champion, CM Punk never mainlined WrestleMania. Now, CM Punk will tell you otherwise, as he’ll say that his match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania 29 WAS the Main Event, even though it technically wasn’t since it wasn’t the last match of the show. But yeah, anybody who saw WrestleMania 29 will tell you that that was definitely the best match of the night.
I would love if CM Punk truly Main Evented WrestleMania. And if he came back to the WWE, then this could finally be the chance that he always deserved. Now, whether or not Vince McMahon would ever allow this to happen is another thing entirely, as McMahon has shown that he is still making decisions against what the fans actually want. But there’s no way CM Punk could ever Main Event WrestleMania if he’s not actually in the WWE, now could he? The fans would love to see this though. Just, of course, as long as it was against a good opponent.
In the end, I can see more positives than negatives if CM Punk chose the WWE over AEW. But what do you think? Am I insane to want CM Punk back in the WWE after how they treated him? Sound off in the poll below. And for news on upcoming WWE events, make sure to stop by often!
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