The hottest topic the wrestling pundits have been discussing for the past five years is CM Punk's return to professional wrestling. Punk himself had rejected the claims of his apparent return multiple times in the past. But according to recent reports, he's currently in consideration for a role in FOX's WWE Backstage show. Unsurprisingly, this sparked rumors that he could be on his way back inside the ring.
Both WWE & AEW would love to have Punk wrestle for them, but the balls are in CM Punk's court, and the fans are eagerly waiting for his decision. With that said, here are five reasons Punk should return to WWE and five he should go to AEW.
10 WWE - WWE Needs Some Savagery In Their Product
It's become common to see people ranting on the internet about how they didn't like Raw or SmackDown. But no matter how hard WWE tries to win back the key demographics of ages 18-34, they continually fail. Despite them including some edgier content in the past few weeks, they still couldn't get the desired numbers.
One of the perfect solutions for that problem, in the long run, is to raise the level of savagery in their product, and who else could do it better than CM Punk? Punk is known for his exceptional mic work starting from his infamous pipe bomb promo. If he decides to go back to WWE, he could have the freedom to be his old savage self because judging by the current situation, WWE needs him more than he needs them.
9 AEW - Vince Might Try To Bury Him
Vince McMahon is all about the business, and getting under his skin could spell doom for a superstar’s career. Many superstars learned that lesson the hard way, and Punk should be careful if he decides to step back inside the hungry lion’s lair.
Multiple rumors suggested that WWE was behind Dr. Chris Amman’s lawsuit against Punk. Punk was fortunate enough to get the verdict in his favor, and that includes the many headaches Punk gave Vince McMahon in the past five years. So if Punk signs with the WWE once again, chances of him feeling the wrath of McMahon would be higher than ever.
8 WWE - He Could Become The Top Guy On SmackDown
SmackDown's debut show on FOX drew an astounding 3.9 Million viewers, and it would've raised the hopes for the show to do similar numbers in the coming weeks. But that's not exactly what happened as the numbers went downhill, ending with the dismal 888,000 viewers on last week's show.
SmackDown needs a key attraction to bring in more eyes to the show, and that could be the reason behind them bringing in Tyson Fury & Cain Velasquez, but still, it didn't work out. If WWE is serious in fixing the issue, CM Punk could come in handy as he is still a hot commodity among the fans and he could finally get the run he always wanted by becoming the top superstar on SmackDown.
7 AEW - He Could Help New Talents
WWE has a global presence over 150 countries, and their talents would get exposed to that audience by default, but that is not the case with AEW. AEW is a highly ambitious project given life by Cody Rhodes & the Elite, and they need to step up their game to try to become a legitimate competition to Vince McMahon.
If CM Punk decides to step back into the ring, he should make up for all those lost years by helping out younger talents in AEW. Punk would bring in the much needed global audience towards AEW, plus the fans would get to see him go against the stars of the future like MJF you see in the picture above.
6 WWE - He Could Get A Deal Similar To Brock Lesnar's
AEW could compete with WWE in terms of providing better wrestling and storylines, but everybody knows who has all the greens. Punk is 41 years old, and time could've taken a toll on his in-ring work. If he returns to the ring, Punk would look to work a lighter schedule compared to his previous WWE run.
WWE is the only place where he could get a decent paycheck along with a light schedule. He has the star power required to demand such a deal, and he could get a deal similar to Brock Lesnar's if he comes back to the WWE.
5 AEW - He Could Be A Key Player In The Wednesday Night Wars
WWE launched a counter-attack to AEW by starting to air NXT live on the USA network the same day Dynamite airs live on TNT. So far Dynamite has been getting higher ratings than NXT, but that could be beginner's luck as the real war will begin when WWE takes NXT on the road like Raw & SmackDown.
It was superstars like the Rock & Stone Cold Steve Austin, who were the difference makers for the WWE in the Monday night war with WCW. CM Punk could be the difference-maker for AEW if he signs with them. He could prove to McMahon that he is the star that he always claimed to be.
4 WWE - Paul Heyman Is In Charge Of Raw
One of the main reasons behind Punk walked in 2014 is creative differences over his position in the WWE. He expressed his disappointment with the company over not letting him main event WrestleMania multiple times in the past. But times have changed, and with Punk's friend Paul Heyman as the Executive Director of Raw, Punk could get the opportunity he desired.
Punk himself was not shy to admit that he is a Paul Heyman guy and that Heyman had his back since day one. With Heyman in such a high position in WWE, Punk would have a better time in the company if he decides to return.
3 AEW - His Failed UFC Career
Punk's misfortunes inside the Octagon has been the prime point for WWE to counter the CM Punk chants from the crowd. If Punk decides to return to the WWE, it is more than certain that Vince McMahon would bring in his UFC losses to hit back at the Straight Edge Superstar.
Pointing out one's failures always takes a toll at his morale, and things would get even worse for Punk than before. Surely, his two UFC losses would get mentioned in AEW as well, but it won't have the same impact as it would have in WWE. AEW could be a safe place for Punk to forget his past failures and do what he does best inside the ring.
2 WWE - His Loyal Fanbase
CM Punk was the only superstar who connected with the fans more than anyone else in the WWE's PG era. Today, fans still chant his name even after his exit, and Punk himself had said that he is thankful to for their continued loyalty and support.
The majority of CM Punk's fans would love to see him return to WWE rather than any other promotion because that is where they became his fans, and they would like to see him succeed in the same place he walked out five years ago. If Punk listens to his fans, he would make up his decision and step back inside a WWE ring in the near future.
1 AEW - His Best Work Could Come In TV-14
Fans considered CM Punk as the perfect replacement for Stone Cold Steve Austin during his last WWE run, but his work got limited due to the WWE's PG ratings. CM Punk could've been an even bigger star if he had been around during the attitude era, and that could still happen if Punk signs with AEW.
AEW's TV-14 environment would be the perfect place for Punk to unleash his ruthless savagery, and it's for sure that his best work inside the ring and with the mic could come to fruition if the Straight Edge Superstar signs with AEW.