'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It happened, and nobody saw it coming! CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series PLE, and contrary to speculation, it has now been revealed that Vince McMahon had nothing to do with his monumental comeback.
Despite rumors doing the rounds, CM Punk showing up in his hometown of Chicago for the WWE PLE was considered out of bounds due to various alleged complications. However, Cult of Personality hit after the men's WarGames main event, and the Allstate Arena erupted to see Punk walk through the WWE curtains after years.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio episode, Dave Meltzer provided some more details on WWE's deal with CM Punk and revealed that the company's president, Nick Khan, made the final call.
Triple H, unsurprisingly, also played an important role in re-signing Phil Brooks, who spoke to Nick Khan leading up to his surprise Survivor Series appearance:
"It was a Nick Khan call, you know, in the end. It was Nick Khan who made the call. Vince had nothing to do with it. Paul Levesque had, obviously, a lot to do with it. And those were the two guys that were the point guys." [1:38 - 1:55]
Why did WWE decide to sign CM Punk?
His controversial exit from AEW earlier this year cast obvious doubts on the star's future in wrestling. Punk has always ruffled a few feathers backstage wherever he has worked, and his last WWE stint didn't end well, either.
However, as noted by Dave Meltzer, WWE was open to doing business with Punk as long as there was legitimate fan interest in seeing him back in the promotion.
WWE apparently wants to be a company that doesn't "fight against the fans" and gives them what they want, irrespective of the obstacles that might be along the way:
"From what I understood, it was one of those things. It was a no, except they felt the public demand was there, and I actually wrote about this week's issue. If they believed the demand was there, they are not going to be an organization that fights the fans,' Meltzer explained. [1:56 - 2:18]
Are you thrilled about CM Punk becoming a WWE Superstar again after 9 long years? Sound off in the comments section below.
Please give credit to Wrestling Observer Radio and an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use any quotes from the article.
