CM Punk made his shocking WWE return at Survivor Series: WarGames last month and, based on what we've heard thus far, no one in the company has a problem with him being back.
In fact, it appears the Best in the World has been welcomed back into the fold with open arms. That's a stark contrast from what happened in AEW and an indication that the level of professionalism in each company differs greatly.
As things stand, Punk has already emerged as a huge merchandise seller in WWE and a ratings draw who could play a major role in what the future holds in store for RAW.
Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre - who recently turned heel - appeared on WWE's The Bump this week and was asked for his thoughts on Punk's WWE return (they crossed paths briefly backstage at RAW this past Monday).
"I obviously recognize he’s big for business, he’s a huge name. He draws a lot of eyeballs, that’s very clear when you just look at the numbers. I’m a bigger picture person. I tend to use that criminology degree and look at, beyond all reasonable doubt, look at the evidence, and I’m not going to go into great details right now because now is not the time, but what I said on Raw is there are so few people on the current roster that have been on the same roster as him for years and years."
"I signed when I was 22, I was actually 21 when I signed, but I was on television when I was 22 in 2007. I spent years. I was around the person, I know the person. I know what he’s truly like. I’m aware. It’s cool. It does numbers. That’s awesome for right now."
"I’m going to wait and see right now because I can’t control who gets signed and who doesn’t. I have stories, I’m going to keep them to myself, and in the future, if we cross paths, I ain’t the same guy I was in 2010. I’m a lot bigger, smarter, more experienced and I’ll drop his ass."
A feud pitting Punk against McIntyre would be undeniably awesome, though it's currently unclear what the future holds in store for the Scottish Superstar. His contract is expected to end shortly after next year's WrestleMania, so the onus is now on WWE to convince him to stick around.
You can check out the full interview with McIntyre in the video below.