Last month, AEW confirmed that CM Punk had been fired following a backstage incident at Wembley Stadium's All In.
Punk still hasn't commented on what happened but we continue to hear conflicting reports; for the most part, fans can agree that the Best in the World parting ways with AEW was best for both parties, though the real losers in this situation are the people watching from home (and AEW Colission's ratings, of course).
While Punk's final match with his old Ring of Honor rival, Samoa Joe, taking place in front of a record-breaking crowd would mean his career ends on a high, it would also be a shame for us not to see the "Real" AEW Champion in the squared circle again.
We don't know if he has a non-compete clause but an eventual WWE seems at least somewhat likely. Similar to Cody Rhodes, Punk would be a huge draw for the company and it seems likely he won't encounter any of the same backstage issues in the sports entertainment giant as he did in the poorly managed halls of AEW.
It's previously been reported that Punk considered a WWE return earlier this year (suggesting he'd been unhappy in AEW for a while) and all signs now point to him signing with the company.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reveals, "There have been rumors that it’s happening, but those in WWE have only said that no deal is completed and those close to Punk have told us that it is his intention to return and the two sides are in talks."
"One would expect if such a deal is made that Survivor Series weekend in Chicago would be the time to do the surprise return."
That would be the perfect place for Punk to return and it could set the stage for him to be a major player in WWE heading into next year's Royal Rumble and the Road to WrestleMania. It was always Punk's dream to headline the Show of Shows and this might be the best possible chance for him to do so.
Going back to his previous hopes to make a WWE return, it was said the Best in the World wanted to debut at the Rumble, only to be eliminated from the 30-man match by the person he'd then face during night one of WrestleMania. Apparently, Kevin Owens' name was suggested, so he's clearly someone Punk would like to wrestle.
Stay tuned for updates on the Best in the World as we have them.