CM Punk is being heavily touted for a debut on this week’s episode of AEW Rampage. Both the company and the straight edge star have been teasing his signing over the past couple of weeks, and now it looks as though he is finally coming back to the squared circle.

The betting odds for CM Punk’s first opponent in AEW have been updated by BetOnline. So here is how they stand currently:

• Darby Allin 1/2
• Byan Danielson/Daniel Bryan 11/4
• Christian Cage 15/4
• Orange Cassidy 6/1
• Matt Hardy 7/1
• Chris Jericho 8/1
• Cody Rhodes 8/1
• Jungle Boy 9/1
• Sting 10/1

It is not surprising that Darby Allin is odds-on favourite to face CM Punk in his debut match for the company. Allin has been teasing a showdown with the ‘Best In The World’ this Friday and this week’s Rampage may be the start of the feud between the two straight edge stars.

CM Punk Betting Odds

BetOnline has also confirmed the following odds for two of the confirmed matches on the ALL OUT PPV card:

AEW Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs Christian Cage

• Kenny Omega -375 (4/15)
• Christian Cage +240 (12/5)

Andrade El Idolo vs Pac

• Andrade El Idolo -180 (5/9)
• Pac +140 (7/5)

Who do you think CM Punk is facing first in AEW? Let us know in the comments.

While it doesn’t look like we will get an official confirmation of CM Punk’s AEW debut, people are still very excited about the same. The list appears to include the officials from the promotion’s broadcast partners TNT and WarnerMedia.

According to Fightful Select, the people involved with WarnerMedia and TNT are working under the assumption that the former champion is coming to the company.

The officials have spoken about the excitement of bringing someone like CM Punk to the promotion. It was also noted that Punk will have its full promotional machine behind him upon his return.

It’s unknown whether AEW officials have communicated the details of his comeback with their broadcast partners, though TNT and WarnerMedia are said to be ‘very aware’ of the situation.

TNT officials are also very impressed with AEW for selling four shows in the Chicago area within a few weeks. They are thrilled about Punk’s return being tied in with the City Of Chicago, United Center, and NBA team Chicago Bulls as well.

AEW will be presenting ‘The First Dance’ edition of Rampage from United Center in Chicago this Friday night. CM Punk is expected to make his debut for the promotion during the show.

CM Punk has been doing the media rounds to promote his new television series, Heels. During multiple interviews, Punk has praised Batista transition from pro wrestling to acting.

He recently told Movie Trivia Schmoedown, “I just want to follow in his footsteps. I watch guys, friends of mine, Dave Bautista, do these huge blockbuster roles but also do roles that are challenging to him because he wants to grow and be a better actor.”

CM Punk told TV Insider that Batista is “truly inspirational” by selecting challenging roles for himself.

“I want to be somebody who takes even the smallest role and takes it very seriously and can learn from it,” said Punk. “I think pro wrestlers are always better than what people give them credit for because what is pro wrestling if not doing live theater.”

Batista Praises CM Punk

Batista recently responded to Punk’s comments in a Tweet.

“I already knew this. And the talent is obvious. He’s going to be bigger in films than he was in wrestling. Save this tweet,” Batista wrote in response to an article about Punk’s comments.

CM Punk in Heels

Heels has received strong critical reviews since the premiere premiere episode was released earlier this week.The show currently holds a 95% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The show has a 96% approval rating amongst viewers on the same site.

The show follows the life of Jack Spade, owner of the fictional Duffy Wrestling League promotion. Punk plays the role of wrestler Ricky Rabies on the show.

After waiting a few weeks, fans are just days away from the heavily speculated AEW debut of CM Punk on Friday’s episode of Rampage. 

Punk seems to be having fun teasing the fans on social media as he dropped an “All Elite” reference during commentary at the CFFC fight over the weekend and then posted a cryptic message on his Instagram Stories. 

The post had the numbers: 05, 11, 21. Fans quickly picked up on how the first two numbers are from Punk’s hottest years in the wrestling business. It also references the three times he signed a full-time wrestling contract.

2005 would’ve marked Punk’s time in ROH while the second number was when he re-signed with WWE and had a huge run that summer that included his famous pipebomb promo. Obviously, 2021 would be the year when he signed with AEW.

It was reported several weeks ago that Punk had been in talks about an in-ring return with AEW being the most likely landing spot. It was all but confirmed when they announced a special edition of Rampage on August 20th from Chicago, Illinois at the United Center, which sold out right away.

CM Punk continues to get the wrestling world talking with another AEW hint.

Back in July, it was reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that Punk is looking to make his return to the pro wrestling industry. The report also noted that the likely candidate to scoop Punk up is AEW.

AEW hasn’t been shy in dropping references either. Darby Allin recently cut a promo where he said anyone looking to prove themselves has to compete in AEW, even if they think they’re the “Best in the World.” That, of course, is CM Punk’s catchphrase.

Punk, who serves as a color commentator for the CFFC promotion, dropped a big hint regarding his future inside the ring during an event. Take a listen below.

This isn’t the first time Punk has dropped an AEW hint. He recently took to his Instagram Stories to post a quote that is tattooed on Darby Allin’s chest.

CM Punk hasn’t been seen inside a wrestling ring since 2014. He made his final appearance for WWE at the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk says he was due to face and defeat Triple H at WrestleMania but he grew tired of what he claims to have been broken promises, a misdiagnosis of his staph infection, lack of time off, and creative differences.

It was reported by Fightful Select that Punk has looked as if he hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to training. Punk had to do some in-ring work for the Heels show starring Stephen Amell. Those who were on set say Punk looked so fresh in the ring that they believe he has been training for a while now.

How big of an impact do you think CM Punk would make if he does indeed return?

John Cena dropped quite a reference involving CM Punk and Jon Moxley.

The Aug. 13 edition of SmackDown opened up with Cena addressing the WWE Universe. He made it clear that while he believes he’s in for a beating against Roman Reigns at WWE SummerSlam, he’ll still pull off the victory to become a 17-time world champion in WWE.

Reigns later came out with Paul Heyman to respond to Cena. It was during this exchange that Cena referenced CM Punk with the following.

“You’re gonna show up all full of yourself like you normally do and put on a hell of a show. I’m just gonna hang in there for 1,2,3. And then I’m gonna take your title, I’m gonna jump the barricade, and I’m gonna run out of Allegiant Stadium as fast as I can. I may even blow you a kiss goodbye.”

Cena is referring to his July 2011 showdown with Punk at the Money in the Bank PPV. The storyline going into that match was that CM Punk’s contract was expiring and he wanted to leave the company as WWE Champion. Punk ended up pinning Cena with the GTS and blowing a kiss at Vince McMahon before exiting through the crowd.

Cena then referenced another former WWE star in Jon Moxley, who used to be known as Dean Ambrose with the company.

“You haven’t been embarrassed, you’ve been protected. Pretty face with giant bars of soap you got for teeth. You’ve been protected, Roman. You’ve been protected by The Shield. Hell, you almost ruined Seth Rollins. You ran Dean Ambrose out of WWE.”

Is CM Punk Headed To AEW?

Punk has been heavily teased for a return to wrestling under the AEW banner. Many speculate that he will make his promotional debut on the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage. That episode will be taking place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Punk, himself, dropped what many believe to be a major hint. On his Instagram Stories, Punk posted a quote that is tattooed on AEW star Darby Allin’s chest.

CM Punk has given some advice for the slew of talent released by WWE.

This year hasn’t been kind to many who once called WWE home. While there were also cuts in 2020, there have been some big surprises as of late such as the releases of Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Recently, 12 wrestlers who competed on the NXT brand saw their WWE runs come to a close.

Punk appeared on Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast and offered words of encouragement for those who have been cut.

“Um, hmm… I mean, I don’t know, I’ve been out of the loop. I don’t know a lot of the people who got fired but I know that it’s probably more of a blessing than anything. You know, if you want to be a pro wrestler, you can be, but you don’t have to work for WWE. I think it sucks, I think anybody getting fired sucks, but I do think, for a lot of people it could be the best thing that ever happened to them.

“You know, if that’s where you want to be and you got fired, well then your job is to work hard and prove them wrong, and try to get your job back. But if your job is just to be the best pro wrestler you can be, put food on your table, have money in your pocket, I think there’s a world now in 2021 where, more so than in recent times, you can be a pro wrestler.”

CM Punk is heavily rumored to be making his debut on AEW television on the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage. The show will emanate from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Of course, this is Punk’s hometown.

Punk hasn’t been seen in action since 2014. He made his exit from WWE following the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk cited frustrations with how WWE’s medical team handled a staph infection, lack of time off, and booking decisions.

CM Punk is busy doing media rounds to promote the debut of Heels on Starz. He was recently interviewed by TV Insider and was asked his thoughts on the current state of pro-wrestling. According to Punk, the industry could use a shakeup, of sorts.

When asked about the current state of wrestling, Punk said he much prefers content from past genreations.

“I think it’s partly unfortunate that WWE owns the super good libraries in pro wrestling,” said Punk. “I think that stuff is classic and they don’t even put it on their network. They are sitting on it. I want to watch Austin Idol versus Jerry Lawler in Memphis.”

There’s Nothing Better

Punk would continue to talk about what wrestling needs right now. He would say that he believes there are people out there stirring the pot.

“I do think the landscape of pro wrestling in general really needs a kick in the d***. I think we are about there. I think there are people out there stirring the pot and causing trouble in a good way. It’s a fun world. There is nothing like it. Pro wrestling gets crapped on by a number of people. But when it’s done on a high level and it’s really good, there is nothing better.”

CM Punk’s return to pro-wrestling could only be a week away. He is speculated to return next Friday night when AEW presents The First Dance live from Chicago’s United Center.

CM Punk isn’t interested in dropping another pipebomb on how WWE does business.

The story of Punk’s exit from the WWE is well-documented. After lasting over 49 minutes, Punk was eliminated from the 2014 Royal Rumble match. It would end up being his last WWE appearance, not counting his role as an analyst on the FOX-produced WWE Backstage years later.

Punk grew frustrated with how the WWE medical team handled a staph infection. He was also upset over not getting time off as well as the company’s booking decisions.

Is CM Punk Hip To Current WWE Product?

During an appearance on Sunday Night’s Main Event Podcast, Punk answered the question of whether or not he’s aware of what’s going on when it comes to WWE programming nowadays.

“No, I had to watch it a little bit when I was an analyst for FOX. But I mean… hmm, how do I say this diplomatically? Um, no, I think they’ve got some people who are super awesome and great in the ring, but you know, nothing grabs me to get me to want to watch.”

Jason Agnew, host of the podcast, admitted he was a bit surprised that Punk was rather reserved when discussing his current view of the WWE product. Punk responded with the following.

“I’m getting ‘a little long in the tooth’ now. And I would much rather uplift and show love to things I like than to tear anything down. You know, you can’t say that what they’re doing is wrong. They are the most profitable they’ve ever been since their inception, so who am I to say… you know what I mean? Like… it’s ice cream, there’s 31,000 flavors, everybody gets their favorite, I just don’t like vanilla.”

It has been heavily implied through rumors, reports, and even AEW that Punk will be making his debut on the second edition of AEW Rampage on Aug. 20. Nothing has been made official, however.

Malakai Black has weighed in on the possibility of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan joining AEW.

The wrestling world has been buzzing about reports and rumors of Punk and Bryan making their way to AEW television. Punk hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since 2014, while Bryan is fresh off his run on WWE TV.

Black, who is a recent AEW signee, appeared on Pro Wrestling 4 Life and told Sean Waltman that he doesn’t know if Punk truly is on his way to the promotion.

“Number one, I genuinely do not know if it’s true. I genuinely don’t. I haven’t heard anyone mention it. Obviously, there’s a buzz in the locker room. I think it’d be great. I think it really proves that the times have changed. I think it’d be a validation of how different everything is and how different the business is now. I don’t play the ‘us vs. them’ cards. I just don’t. I want everybody to be successful.”

Black then turned his attention to Bryan and said he’d love to see the former WWE Champion make the transition.

“I can see someone like Daniel pulling the trigger on that because he’s someone who has a great love for wrestling, and always wants to try different things and always has a different perspective on stuff. Sometimes, it’s just fun to think about the possibilities, and for me, obviously with my release, the possibilities became different. I can only imagine how his brain might work. I can only guess at it. I hope so. I can see him definitely showing up, but again, I don’t know.”

Would you like to see Malakai Black booked to face CM Punk or Daniel Bryan?

CM Punk was recently interviewed by Jason Agnew for Sunday Night’s Main Event. Agnew asked Punk about the rumors surrounding him, AEW, and a big show from Chicago’s United Center on August 20th. Punk answered the questions, though he avoided saying much.

When asked about his plans for next Friday night, CM Punk played coy.

“When was that?” Punk said “Let me look at my calendar. When did you say it was? The 20th? I think I actually might be doing a screening – this isn’t confirmed yet, so I probably shouldn’t blast this out everywhere – but we’re talking about doing a screening of episode 3 of HEELS at an AMC in Chicago and that was one of the dates that has been proposed, so hope to see everyone there.”

CM Punk also addressed Darby Allin using the line “Best in the World” on a recent episode of Dynamite.

“Best in the world? That could be anybody.” He joked that he thinks ‘Bryan’ [Danielson] when he hears the phrase, Best in the World.

Punk also spoke about his opinions of Darby Allin during the discussion.

“I think Darby Allin is great. I think everyone in the wrestling world needs to never do a dive again because you can’t do it better than Darby.”

CM Punk’s Negotiations with Tony Khan

CM Punk was also asked about early conversations he may have had with Tony Khan before AEW started.

“I talked to Tony (Khan),” he said. “My perspective on this and I said this to Tony’s face, I am a guy who has constantly heard ‘hey, I got a money guy. Hey, I got tv.’ I’ve heard that at least once or twice a year for 15-20 years in my wrestling career. I’ve gotten bounced cheques from those gentlemen.”

If you use any of these transcriptions please credit Sunday Night’s Main Event with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.

CM Punk is reportedly showing promise in his in-ring training. On July 21st, Fightful Select reported that Punk was in talks for an in-ring return and that his destination is likely All Elite Wrestling.

Since January, Punk has been training in-ring for his role in the upcoming Starz TV series “Heels.” A new report suggests that Punk is looking good in training and has sources impressed.

According to wrestlers and Heels cast members who have worked with Punk over the past six months, the overall impression on Punk’s in-ring training has been very promising.

CM Punk’s Training

The latest update from Fightful cited multiple sources who have seen Punk in the ring this year. One person said Punk looked “completely healthy,” especially as compared to the tail end of his WWE run.

Punk has not wrestled in seven years after leaving WWE. His last match was the 2014 Royal Rumble Match on January 26, 2014, at the Console Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Another source said Punk looked so good in the ring that they wondered if he’d been training in private leading up to being in the ring with them. Punk showed virtually no ring rust, which is amazing considering the 7-year layoff.

As of this time, there is no official word about CM Punk signing a deal with AEW. The two sides have negotiated in the past, but never came to terms. Although now it seems that Punk is ready to make a comeback in professional wrestling.

Subscribe: Fightful Select

With CM Punk widely believed to be headed to AEW in just two weeks, Conrad Thompson asked Jim Ross about Punk on the latest edition of “Grillin Jr“.

“I hope we sign him, I hope he’s one of our guys,” JR said about Punk on the show. “CM Punk is a treasure. And he can contribute a lot to a lot of guys and he’s willing to share his knowledge and his expertise to other talents. He pays it forward and has no problem doing so, that’s my take on him.”

“If we can sign CM Punk to our team and our roster, it’s a great get,” JR continued.

Punk’s debut in AEW is heavily rumored to take place at AEW First Dance. The event will be held in Chicago’s United Center on August 20th. Ross also commented on if Punk’s 8 years away from the ring will impact his work.

“He’s a huge player in the big picture and am I worried his layoff is going to affect his work? We know it’s going to affect his work to some degree because he’s 8 years older. And he’s in his 40s. But that doesn’t seem to matter in today’s wrestling business especially when you have a schedule like ours.”

JR also spoke about how valuable he feels Punk will be for developing talent on the roster. Having someone like Punk around gives up-and-comers a valuable veteran to get advice from.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be effective as hell,” JR continued.

“If CM Punk signs with us he will be used and valued in multiple areas and I don’t think that anybody that’s concerned about his in-ring game have anything to worry about.”

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and his impending debut for AEW have been ramping up over the past few weeks.

Several AEW stars alluded to the former WWE Superstar on this past week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, with Darby Allin essentially calling out the man who was known as the ‘Best In The World.’

Although Allin has since denied that his promo was aimed at CM Punk, the straight edge Superstar will be making his debut at an upcoming event, likely AEW Rampage in Chicago on August 13.

CM Punk Betting Odds

Bet Online recently released the following list of odds for Punk’s first AEW opponent, with Daniel Bryan and Darby Allin looking like the two most likely candidates:

• Darby Allin: +100
• Daniel Bryan: +200
• Christian Cage: +320
• Orange Cassidy: +600
• Matt Hardy: +700
• Chris Jericho: +800
• Cody Rhodes: +800
• Jungle Boy: +900
• Sting: +1000

Although Punk vs Daniel Bryan would be a big match for AEW, it is unlikely that his first match in the company would be against the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Darby Allin seems to be the safe bet for Punk as a first match when he finally debuts in All Elite. It’s unlikely that he will wrestle on the Rampage show itself on August 13, but he may well set up an ALL OUT match against the former TNT Champion for September 5.

Who do you think CM Punk will face in his first AEW match? Let us know in the comments

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

“Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

As the CM Punk to AEW rumors continue, it is being reported that Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs flew to Chicago yesterday. According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, AEW might be looking at a new venue in the city.

AEW is reportedly eyeing the United Center in Chicago for a future event. Previously, the All Out/All In events have run from what is now known as the NOW Center (previously the Sears Center) just outside of the city.

Tickets for All Out 2021 sold out quickly, however, so AEW might be looking for a larger venue in one of its hottest markets. The 2019 event drew a crowd of 10,500.

The United Center can hold 19-20,000 for hockey and basketball games, and around 22,000 for concerts. The last time a wrestling event was held in the venue was a WWE house show in late 2018.

The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

Although not confirmed, it is believed Khan and the EVPs were in town to film some promotional content at the United Center.

Tony Khan is scheduled to make an announcement regarding a new live event this week on Dynamite as well.

WWE typically runs the Allstate Arena near Chicago for events. That was the venue for CM Punk’s WWE title win over John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. It was also the host venue for Survivor Series 2019 and NXT TakeOver: War Games III.

Kenny Omega recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and during the discussion, he spoke about possibly wrestling CM Punk and/or Bryan Danielson in AEW someday.

“It’s cool for me to think I am going to be able to get in the ring with these two possibly,” Omega said. “Because they were so prominent in WWE…for me, as exciting as the wrestling part is, the ability to tell a story is more exciting for me.”

Omega spoke specifically of Bryan and the success of the Yes! movement in WWE.

“He was able to kind of turn everything around and emerge as a megastar, because he is smart enough in a wrestling sense, in a business sense,” said Omega. “Just like in ROH, how he was able to have those fans in the palm of his hand, he was able to have the entire WWE Universe in the palm of his hand with one word. The only other person I can think of to do that was Austin.”

Omega also spoke about CM Punk and what he accomplished with his career.

“CM Punk, he probably has a different line of thinking than your current-day performer, the average performer,” Omega said. “He has this incredible reputation—he has fans to this day who would follow him to the end of the earth. Very dedicated fanbase and that fanbase believes he’s the best in the world and will be the best until the end of time.”

“Two extremely intelligent people who found a way to, I don’t want to say cheat the system, but it was a system that was not created for them there,” Omega continued.

Omega’s comments can be heard in the player below:

AEW’s upcoming All Out PPV in Chicago on September 5th sold out quickly and long before any rumors of CM Punk signing with the promotion leaked. Despite this, rumors of Punk heading to AEW have caused a spike in the secondary ticket market for the event.

According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, secondary market ticket prices have increased 18% since news of Punk possibly signing with AEW was reported. The current “get-in” price for the event is $141.

“All Out on 9/5 in Chicago has a $141 get-in price, so the C.M. Punk rumors have upped ticket prices about 18 percent across the board,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The event will be held in what is now known as the NOW Arena. Previously, it was named the Sears Center. It is the home of the famous “All In” PPV put on by Cody Rhodes and Ring of Honor in 2018.

If CM Punk is headed to AEW, an event in Chicago is the place to do it. Punk has very strong roots in the city and some of his biggest moments in wrestling occurred in Chicago as well. Possibly the biggest moment being the Money in the Bank PPV from 2011. Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship that night. The event drew an attendance of 14,815 people to the Allstate Arena. The PPV did 195,000 buys.

The news of CM Punk being in talks for an in-ring return for the first time since leaving WWE in 2014 has possibly been the biggest wrestling story of the week.

Multiple parties are said to be interested in bringing the Straight Edge star on board. Though AEW seems to be the most likely destination for his comeback. It appears that people within WWE believe the same.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the internal belief in WWE is that Punk has already signed a deal with their rival promotion.

There are ‘a number of things going on behind-the-scenes’ that would indicate that AEW is going to be the new home for the former world champion.

Meltzer notes that nobody in AEW has confirmed the news about CM Punk so far. It’s understandable as people would keep quiet about an announcement of this magnitude until the top brass decides to go public with it.

The former WWE champion had originally shot down the possibility of an in-ring return in the future after quitting WWE. However, he seems to have changed his mind in recent times.

• Update On Daniel Bryan & CM Punk Possibly Signing With AEW

Punk himself has claimed that he would be open to making an in-ring return against the right opponent. He has indicated that the right circumstances and storyline are more important than the amount offered to him for a comeback.

With AEW becoming home to some of the most exciting free agents of the wrestling world in recent months, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if a potential program with any of them has caught his eye and made him consider the return.

Recent reports have surfaced suggesting that both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are likely to sign with AEW. This was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“I don’t know if either of those two are signed right now. I would not be surprised if Bryan Danielson signed but I do not know that to be a fact,” said Dave Meltzer. “As far as CM Punk, I know they’ve been talking to him for awhile. I know they’ve been talking to Bryan Danielson for awhile as well.”

NJPW The Biggest Factor For Daniel Bryan

Meltzer would continue to say that Bryan has loyalty to WWE and Vince McMahon but in the end, AEW’s relationship with NJPW was the biggest factor.

“In the end, the company with the relationship with New Japan was going to be the favorite to get (Daniel Bryan),” Meltzer continued.

In terms of Bryan debuting on the September 22nd show in New York, Meltzer said he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true but could not confirm it.

On May 28th, reports surfaced that WWE was looking to get an exclusive talent-sharing deal with NJPW. Daniel Bryan wanting to wrestle in NJPW is speculated as to being a reason WWE was looking to do this at first.

“While Bryan Danielson was absolutely part of the early talks, that hasn’t been the case of late as far as the major aspect, and one source said he hasn’t been a part of any recent talks,” Meltzer said in June.

Update On CM Punk

“In May, I had been told there 4 signings. 2 somewhat big and 2 huge but none of them were signed but there was confidence that they would be signed,” Meltzer continued. “I knew 2 of them were Aleister Black and Danielson.”

“The other two I presumed were Punk and Andrade.”

Meltzer would continue to say that he does not know if there is a deal between Punk and AEW but he does know they’ve been talking for awhile.

CM Punk hasn’t officially wrestled a match since taking part in the 2014 Royal Rumble but it’s possible he could be making a return to the ring. According to a report from Fightful, the 42-year-old has been involved in ongoing talks regarding a return.

While the report would suggest that there are multiple parties interested, it notes that AEW is the most likely spot for Punk to land.

This is not the first time that Punk has been linked to AEW. Last summer, both Cody Rhodes and Konnan spoke about previous negotiations between AEW and Punk.

Cody Rhodes Comments On Previous Negotiations With CM Punk

During a conversation with Talk Sport last summer, Cody Rhodes commented on previous negotiations AEW has had with Punk.

“As far as the CM Punk negotiations go, everyone heard the famous ‘he got a text from us’. Yeah, of course, there were negotiations and he did ask for a great amount of money and Punk is worth a great deal of money,” Cody said during the interview. 

“I don’t think they ever got too serious,” Cody said. “Doesn’t mean they won’t one day, but they never got entirely too serious. I think there is a good relationship there. I think I have a good relationship with Phil, I believe Tony does too and I’m not sure really when it comes to him, it’s not so much about the money. It’s about are you interested in doing this?”

Konnan Says CM Punk Was Asking For Too Much Money

Also last summer, Konnan revealed on his podcast that he heard CM Punk was asking for too much money from AEW.

“I do remember when I was negotiating with AEW and they were telling me about him, they were telling me that he was asking for like (an) astronomical amount of money,” Konnan said on the show. “They really wanted to work with him but…”

“I’m sure if they wanted to do something with him and Jericho or him and Cody, I’m sure they could,” Konnan continued. “Like I said, from what they told me, he was just asking for way too much. And this is a company that is willing to spend, so who knows what he was asking for?”

CM Punk’s MMA career looks slightly better today with his second fight in the UFC now being declared a No Contest. Punk now officially sits at 0-1-0 (1 N.C) due to his second opponent failing a drugs test from the fight way back in 2018.

MMA Junkie reported the news recently but it was apparently confirmed way back in October 2018 by authorities, but it has only been confirmed publicly this week.

Punk’s opponent Mike Jackson reportedly tested positive for “tetrahydrocannabinol due to marijuana,” thus rendering the fight a no contest. Jackson was tested on the night of the fight, and this is when the failed test was administered.

CM Punk Fight Overturned

CM Punk has not reacted to the story publicly, and Jackson himself has been dismissive of the result being changed, saying on Instagram “it’s funny how you losers think your opinions matter.”

Punk nor Mike Jackson have fought for the UFC since that contest at UFC 225 in June 2020, with Dana White saying at the time that he didn’t want Jackson back in the cage and that the gamble on Punk hadn’t paid off.

Punk is as always being rumored for a return to pro wrestling, although these rumors have softened somewhat over the past few months. With Tony Khan saying that there will be ‘bug surprises’ coming in the new few months, Punk has once again been slated for a return to wrestling as a member of the All Elite roster.

CM Punk hosted a Q&A session on Twitter earlier yesterday where the former WWE champion answered questions related to a wide variety of topics.

The Broken Skull Sessions hosted by Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the biggest shows on WWE Network and many have wondered if we will ever see the former WWE star on the show.

When asked what it would take for him to make an appearance on the show, Punk replied: “Money. Nobody gets any royalties for anything shown on peacock. Nobody. Yay wrestling biz!”

The recent multiple waves of WWE releases have been a topic of discussion among wrestling fans. The former leader of Straight Edge Society had previously blasted the company for the same.

A fan discussed how Samoa Joe was fired from the main roster only to be rehired on NXT. He asked CM Punk for his thoughts. Replying to it he said that it’s an instance of “the left hand not talking to the right hand.”

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The retired wrestling star was then asked which is the one match of his career he would like to redo. He picked his last match before his retirement.

Apart from this, CM Punk answered questions such as his favorite Bret Hart match, if he has any of his previously worn wrestling gear, and more. You can check out his entire Q&A thread below:

Roman Reigns’ current run as the top heel of WWE has helped him win over many haters. Former rival CM Punk among those impressed by Reigns’ work as of late.

Punk recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast and discussed how organic stories produce the best content and storylines. He singled out Roman Reigns as an example to making his point and had glowing things to say about WWE’s reigning Universal Champion. He said the Tribal Chief storyline is one of the things WWE is doing right these days and praised Reigns’ character work.

“A lot of the times the best stuff you also just got to go with the flow with it, I’ll use Roman Reigns as an example because if we’re talking about good stuff,” said Punk. “If the WWE does anything good, this is the one thing they’re doing right now is Roman Reigns. His character work, his in-ring stuff, it’s all great.”

Punk took a shot at the company by claiming they are always “late” to execute plans correctly. WWE spent years trying to get Roman Reigns over as the ‘next John Cena.’ It took a heel turn and an alliance with Paul Heyman to truly win over the WWE Universe.

Far and Away The Best In WWE

“Maybe he needed that adversity and that backlash to finally be this guy but this is the one thing they’re doing right, what can you say bad about what Roman Reigns is doing right now? He’s far and away the best guy they have. When you talk about storylines, in-ring work and all that stuff, right now he’s the total package. For the first time in his career, and I’m not being mean to Roman Reigns, I just feel like he’s finally where they pushed him to be, it just took a minute.”

CM Punk left WWE in 2014 and subsequently retired from professional wrestling. He stayed away from the business for the next 5 years, before making a surprise return during a WWE Backstage episode in November 2019.

He has been vocal about the company’s policies since then. Punk recently commented on issues such as the latest WWE releases and John Cena’s apology to China.

CM Punk criticized WWE after the company cut ties with six wrestlers on Wednesday.

John Squires of Bloody Disgusting tweeted:

“One thing that has consistently bummed me out about WWE in recent years is that there’s been a *wealth* of incredible talent in that company, but they rarely seem to really know what to do with any of it. This latest wave of releases is a truly stunning reflection of that issue.”

Punk gave a scathing reply and gave a detailed explanation of why he feels WWE is “trash” and why some fans keep watching.

“It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s…..trash. But people watch it because they like movies.”

Punk has been a vocal critic of WWE creative over the years. This language is harsh and shows he’s among the many people who have grown disenchanted with WWE programing.

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