Though he left the company years ago, and WWE try their best to keep any mention him off of their TV, Vince McMahon would welcome CM Punk back if the opportunity arose.

It has been three and a half years now since CM Punk finally decided he had enough of WWE and walked out of the company following the 2014 Royal Rumble. Despite all the time since his departure, fans still discuss when Punk will walk back through that curtain. If history has taught us anything, it's that there is no relationship so damaged between WWE and a Superstar that it can't be fixed, and more rumors are circulating about that certainly being the case when it comes to Punk and the company.

WWE do their very best to keep any mention of Punk off of their live product, and when the likes of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are being drowned out by chants of the Chicago native's name you can tell how much it grates them. All of that being said, apparently if Punk showed up on the doorstep of Titan Towers tomorrow, the aforementioned names, along with Vince McMahon, would wipe the slate clean and reinstate the Second City Saint.

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer discussed the potential of a CM Punk return in his newsletter recently. Meltzer said despite what WWE might have you think, they would love Punk to return to the company and added: "even though Punk was adamant about never doing it, history tells you time heals a lot of wounds."  While that statement rings true for almost everyone that leaves the company on bad terms, during a recent book tour Punk's wife AJ Lee said that she really misses wrestling, but her husband still does not.

While the return of CM Punk would be one of the biggest angles in recent history, it wouldn't be the biggest U-turn when it comes to a Superstar returning to WWE. Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, and Ultimate Warrior were all wrestlers who had major issues with WWE—and more specifically McMahon—for years, yet they were all convinced to come back eventually. If you are a Punk fan, any of the above stories are valid reasons to never give up hope of an eventual return.

NEXT: WHO EXACTLY WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE CM PUNK BACK IN WWE?

Meltzer's comments are hardly foreshadowing a Punk return though. Instead, they're a welcome reminder that former WWE Superstars have returned from worse to be welcomed back into the WWE fold, and many fans should find it reassuring that McMahon would not say no if Punk does come knocking one day. For now, at least, the former WWE Champion remains very disillusioned with the company he once loved.