What did CM Punk say? Massive bombshell dropped on ex-WWE stars in now-deleted Instagram story

It has been several months since CM Punk made his last appearance on AEW due to his controversial comments after All Out. It has been rumored that the Straight Edge Superstar may be returning to the promotion, but things don’t look so good following his latest social media activity.

In September 2022, CM Punk prevailed to win the AEW World Title at All Out, defeating Jon Moxley after being pinned by him in under three minutes just two weeks earlier.

The new champion took to the post-show press conference, proceeding to viciously lash out at EVPs Moxley, The Young Bucks, President Tony Khan, and wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer. A physical altercation broke out backstage between Punk and The Young Bucks, ultimately resulting in The Second City Saint being stripped of his title.

Just as the dust seemed to be settling, in a now-deleted Instagram story, CM Punk claimed Moxley initially refused to lose to him before their matchup at All Out. The multi-time world champion also accused AEW of asking him to wrestle without medical clearance. He shared his negative thoughts on the build-up to his storyline with Moxley and called out Chris Jericho as well.

Punk's comments spur from a message Meltzer had posted on his Figure Four Weekly message board, where he referred to the build-up of Moxley's and Punk's match last September.

"Do you know why they didn't advertise Punk vs. Moxley longer and why it had a short build? Because Punk agreed to it, then AEW got a legal letter saying he wasn't down with it and wasn't doing it and they didn't know if he'd come until Tony put his foot down. There are a lot of nice things I can say about him, and you can absolutely argue his position on Moxley was correct, but you can't argue he willingly did what he was asked in that scenario." [H/T Wrestling Observer]

AEW is yet to comment on the public accusations.

Will CM Punk still return to AEW?

In light of his controversial actions, there is a clear divide between fans and their sentiments towards CM Punk, with many still adamant about wanting him back on AEW.

CM Punk has always had a unique persona, gaining a lot of fans due to his impressive skills, bad-boy attitude, and willingness to speak his mind, even if it meant going against the grain. While many appreciate his eagerness to challenge the status quo, Punk's recent actions might have pushed the envelope with Tony Khan a bit too far this time.

The former champion was also discussed during an interview with Dax Harwood and Fightful Select. Harwood hopes AEW can "move past the incident and work together." There has been no further confirmation on whether CM Punk will be returning to AEW.