CM Punk's AEW departure confirmed; 32-year-old star wants to face the 2-time WWE Champion in blockbuster dream match

The wrestling world had been unclear about the status of two-time AEW World Champion CM Punk following his suspension in Tony Khan's promotion. Now, one of the top stars in the promotion, Ricky Starks, has confirmed that the 44-year-old star has left the company.

The self-proclaimed Best in the World has been absent from AEW television since his rant at the post-AEW All Out media scrum. He was suspended from the company and stripped of his title. Since then, the Straight Edge Savior has returned to his previous role as a commentator for Cage Fury Fighting.

It was heavily rumored that AEW is trying to buy out the rest of CM Punk's contract, but the recent revelation from the former FTW Champion has shut those rumors down.

During a recent interview with DAZN, Absolute Ricky Starks opened up about Punk's status within the company. He spoke about the helpful insights he received from William Regal and the multi-time WWE Champion.

He then shared his dismay over the fact that both are no longer part of AEW.

"I thought Punk, [William] Regal, these people that came in were great additions to the locker room... I know, personally, I was able to talk to Punk a lot and get help on my promos and things like that. Same with Regal, because I’ve known him for so long. It was kind of a blow that both of these guys left," Ricky Starks said. [H/T Fightful.com]

The 32-year-old star also spoke about a potential dream match against The Straight Edge Savior.

"One of the minor things that I’m actually annoyed about is that I never actually got to have a match. It’s not to stroke my own ego, but it’s about iron really sharpening iron. I’m the type of person who would be able to benefit from that, in terms of excelling in my talent," Starks noted. [H/T Fightful.com].

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Stokely Hathaway also revealed that CM Punk left AEW

Ricky Starks is not the first AEW personality to indicate that the self-proclaimed Best in the World had left the Tony Khan-led promotion.

During a recent episode of The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Stokely Hathaway spoke about the initial plans for his faction, The Firm. He mentioned that they were initially set to feud with Punk, but unfortunately, he left the company.

"Everything that was supposed to happen with The Firm did not happen. Back at All Out, what happened immediately after the pay-per-view, that was a huge part of it. [The person] we were supposed to directly feud with is no longer in the company," Hathaway said. (H/T Cultaholic)

While Ricky Starks may not be able to compete with CM Punk in the near future, he is set to battle MJF for the AEW World Title this Wednesday on Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

Do you think CM Punk's wrestling career is over? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.