Following an alleged fight backstage with Jack Perry at Wembley Stadium's All In a couple of weeks ago, CM Punk has been fired by AEW. In a harshly worded statement clearly prepared by lawyers, Tony Khan went so far as to suggest his very life was put in danger by the pro wrestler.
The AEW President has been mercilessly mocked since then, of course, and all eyes have now shifted to what Punk says and does next.
There are those who believe he'll sue AEW, though most fans are more interested in seeing whether he'll return to WWE for the first time since leaving in 2014. It would mean he could end his career on a high and just this week we heard he'd hoped to go back there at the start of this year.
Now, PWInsider Elite reports that Punk immediately became a hot-button topic in WWE once his firing was announced. There are those who believe hiring the "Real" AEW World Champion would make the company a lot of money, with one top talent said to be actively pushing for him to be brought back.
Of course, there are also those fully against the idea along with a contingent who don't ever see it happening.
For now, WWE is believed to be focusing on its imminent acquisition by Endeavor, with its new parent company likely the ones who will now make the final call on whether he should rejoin the sports entertainment giant (they saw what a draw he was in UFC so that may bode well).
Other companies are said to be interested, including IMPACT Wrestling. Unfortunately for them, they probably can't afford him! Punk has previously expressed an interest in wrestling in Japan, but given NJPW's relationship with AEW, that too is an unlikely destination for the former AEW star.
As for whether Punk has a non-compete clause in his contract, historian and AEW fun Dave Meltzer doesn't seem to think so.
"This is not WWE, so this probably doesn't apply but perhaps it does - [in a] standard WWE contract, if you are fired for cause, you have a one-year non-compete [clause]," he said. "I am sure if somebody went to court and was not being paid for a year, even if they screwed up and were fired for cause, I can't imagine any judge not saying, 'Look, you can't do a non-compete.'"
Only time will tell what the future holds in store for Punk, but here's hoping we see him return to the ring sooner rather than later!