It’s looking more likely that CM Punk is on his way out of AEW after what happened at AEW All Out, where he ripped Colt Cabana, Hangman Adam Page, and the AEW EVPs at the media scrum. He was later involved in a backstage fight with Kenny Omega, Ace Steel, and The Young Bucks.
As previously reported, AEW is in talks with Punk about the future, but right now, it looks doubtful he will be back in the promotion. AEW is also in talks with Punk about buying out his contract, and the only hang-up in making this happen is the non-compete period of the deal.
The belief is that since AEW wants a non-compete clause in the buy-out, they believe WWE could be interested in bringing Punk back, as no other promotion would be able to afford what Punk was making in AEW.
Fightful Select reported most AEW wrestlers felt following the brawl that “realistically he can’t expect to be back” and aren’t interested in working in a locker room that he’s involved in again, unless huge amends are made for how the night made the promotion look in general.
Regarding WWE, company sources stated that they didn’t think Vince McMahon would have brought CM Punk back, especially after the brawl. FOX was the one who pushed for WWE to talk with Punk before he signed with AEW, as he previously worked on WWE Backstage on FS1.
The report stated, “the line of thinking presented to us under the Triple H regime is that the right situation, right money and right creative can leave the door open for “anything within reason.”
One person said, “Triple H wants to be a success and make compelling programming more than anything. CM Punk back in WWE is compelling programming, but I can’t see it being a full-time deal like what he has in AEW, because of exactly what happened in AEW. That’s even if he as interest. If he gets a buyout he may not need to work again.”
