"It's where he belongs," "Dude is so desperate" - Fans erupt after CM Punk's reported backstage appearance in major promotion

CM Punk was terminated from All Elite Wrestling following the incidents that unfolded at All In pay-per-view at Wembley Stadium on August 27, 2023. Punk indulged in a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, which led to a brawl during the event. The incident made headlines in the professional wrestling world and tainted the success of the Jacksonville-based company's biggest event to date.

After his termination, there were rumors about the Second City Saint's impending return to WWE after nine years. The reports even discussed the possibility of Punk's return to the Stamford-based company as early as Survivor Series in November, which is set to emanate from his hometown of Chicago.

Hints about CM Punk's return were also observed in WWE's weekly programming, which ranged from commentators quoting his famous line to Shinsuke Nakamura hitting his finishing maneuver, GTS, to Ricochet on RAW.

While the wrestling world speculates about his return to the company that fired him on his wedding day, recent reports claim otherwise. Haus of Wrestling reported that the Straight Edge Superstar was backstage during the IMPACT's Chicago Tapings. The reports said that Punk showed up before the tapings and talked to all those who wanted to talk to him.

The pro wrestling fans had mixed reactions to Punk's IMPACT appearance. While some said that the former AEW Champion would put the company on the map, others said he was desperate.

Here are some of the reactions:

Dutch Mantell thinks WWE will take a major step to "punish" CM Punk if he returns

Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell talked about the possibility of CM PunK's WWE return and said that the Stamford-based company would likely take necessary steps beforehand to prevent any backstage issues involving Punk from getting out of hand.

"You mentioned Kevin Owens. Ok if he [CM Punk] had a problem with him a year ago when all of this happened because he [went up against] The Bucks. You got to put that aside, all of it. I've done a lot of things I didn't want to do. But guess what? When they told me '[If] you don't do it, you're not getting paid', I mean he'll get paid. And I bet something [will be] written in CM Punk's contract. That if anything like that happens they're going to anticipate this. And that's a way to almost punish him before he even gets there. I don't think it's going to be that big of a problem, it really won't," said Mantell.[From 02:44 to 03:37]

After his termination from Tony Khan's promotion, CM Punk's in-ring future is one of the hottest topics in the professional wrestling world, and the speculations will likely continue until the Second City Saint's next move.