CM Punk may have left WWE 6 years ago and with that career move a gaping hole in the fans' hearts was also created; but the advent of WWE Backstage has lead to fan speculation of a possible return. Fans are convinced that CM Punk is about to make a big comeback and their cries for his return are louder than ever.

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However, there is one conundrum associated with the fabled CM Punk return. One thing that could cause a bit of an issue is that during the last few years of his run, Punk was made to begrudgingly put over part-timers when he was a full-time roster member. Which was a key factor in his initial exit. Would he be willing to be the one to take the spotlight away from the current roster?

10 Seth Rollins

Let's get the obvious one out of the way, the current storyline being played out with Seth Rollins is that of a babyface who gave everything to reach the top, began to crack under the pressure, went insane after losing said perch, and is now lashing out at everyone in sight.

Enter CM Punk, a man who went through all the same story beats ad nauseum yet is beloved by fans as a cult hero. This, in turn, bred resentment in the Architect leading to the infamous "fight me" tweet. Shoot-wise this was probably just Rollins knowing a big-money match would benefit all parties involved and no doubt be a classic for the ages.

9 Roman Reigns

Make Roman look strong was the verbiage Punk used to describe his encounter with the Big Dog, and had since become a mantra for the Smarks to parrot every time they became dissatisfied with Reigns' push. In the years since he went on to receive cavalcades of boos only for them to be offset by his superman punching leukemia, as such his encounter with Punk would be a face vs. face contest.

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The wild card in the scenario that would make the match interesting would be who the fans cheered, Punk the returning favorite or Reigns the face of the company in his absence.

8 Daniel Bryan

Two old internet warhorses finally deciding whose the best after decades of debating has the trappings of a main event caliber match no? These kings of the indy scene would finally settle the score through a grueling match loaded to the brim with knees, kicks, and grueling submissions further elevated by Punk foray into MMA.

The distinction between this bout and the iconic Over the Limit 2012 clash is the prize being bragging rights, as both men fight for a spot in wrestling Valhalla.

7 The Miz

When CM Punk left the company in 2014 he took a revolutionary shoot-style promo game with him. The infamous pipebomb forever changed the way stories were told in the land of the giants until one fateful episode of Talking Smack. The Miz, reality TV star turned reliable company man tore into the recently retired Daniel Bryan with a reality inspired venom that he hasn't dropped since.

The match between Miz and Punk would be irrelevant as the true must-see TV would be a war of words between 2 verbal firebrands.

6 Shane Mcmahon

Now it is important to note that this is a bit of a controversial choice as some believe that Shane is one of the worst wrestlers on the roster.

That being said since his father is a sad reminder of why we shouldn't let old men wrestle, and Punk and Triple H should not be near each other under any circumstances, who better to provide the catharsis of fans who felt Punk was mistreated?

5 Kofi Kingston

The tragic timing of Xavier Woods' injury meant that it halted a potential angle the man he and Big E refer to as "Pops". Kingston would've slowly unraveled eventually turning on his New Day brethren, a match with Punk would surely ease the pain of losing the WWE championship after a decade long journey.

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Where intrigue would be generated is the happy go lucky stable as a united front turning heel on the voice of the voiceless in a brutal fashion; leaving the fans no choice but to boo the team they once loved.

4 Adam Cole

A true passing of the torch moment, having the dastardly Cole put down the returning hero Punk would not only be satisfactory for the fans but also help Cole's character immensely.

If Cole can prove himself a worthy adversary to Punk's god-tier mic skills and then manage to, with the aid of his Undisputed Era cronies decimate him in the ring, it would be a truly star-making performance.

3 John Cena

"I hate this idea that you're the best, you're not the best, I'm the best in that ring, on this microphone, hell even on commentary nobody can touch me". Just a few lines from Punk's monolithic monologue at Cena's and the company's expense, a match between the 2 has for sure been done to death and the whole company man vs internet iconoclast narrative doesn't really need repeating.

However, there could be no better way to provide closure to both men's careers than one final clash with WWE's chosen avatar.

2 Brock Lesnar

Oh, the story to tell with The Beast vs. The Best 2. Heyman could initiate by berating Punk's MMA career, only for The Second City Saint to counter by bringing up the fact that the prevalence of part-timers like Lesnar is the reason he left in the first place.

The match itself would start as a shoot fight only for both men to grow tired and descend into a flurry of wrestling moves from the Pepsi plunge to the shooting star press. Or alternatively, Punk, being a humble FOX analyst early in the build selects a champion in Matt Riddle.

1 Jeff Hardy

In a retread of their feud a decade ago Punk vs. Hardy would harken back to the awkward puberty stage that existed in between the Ruthless Aggression and PG eras. Punk would come face to face with his old foe with disappointment as he cuts an incendiary promo on all the contraband related offenses that persisted long after their last meeting.

Meanwhile, Jeff would retaliate by bringing up the fact that he persevered and slain his demons while CM Punk ran away from them in a more philosophical version of their "drugs vs. no drugs" feud.

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