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#3 Why he will - People still care
When Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Guns N' Roses famously disbanded and left the music scene in 1993, millions of fans waited in eager anticipation for their reunion and next record (that's what they were called back then). Each and every year rumors would swirl about the album's inevitable release.
Then those fans grew up, joined the workforce, and their Guns N' Roses worries were replaced with concerns about mortgages, taxes, 401Ks, and all the other joys of family life. When Axl Rose finally released the long awaited Chinese Democracy album in 2008, few people actually cared.
Wrestling fans still want to see a CM Punk return, but not as much as they did in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Each and every year Punk is away from wrestling, interest wanes. As the old CM Punk fans grow up and walk away from wrestling, they are replaced by a growing number of younger fans, who've never even heard of him. Thus, it is the best time for Punk to finally make a return to wrestling and feed off whatever cult following he still has.
#3 Why he won't - His return isn't being advertised
A 2019 CM Punk wrestling return would still be a huge deal and a very lucrative one to add. While a CM Punk surprise return could be used to add to the hype and shock factor of All Out, the company would miss out on a potential goldmine by failing to advertise it.
All Out is already sold out, but the company won't generate the majority of its revenue from ticket sales. Think of the pay-per-view numbers a CM Punk return would generate. Think of the t-shirts and the commemorative programs that could be sold. AEW would instantly go from having a niche audience to attracting a worldwide following based on one return and they wouldn't let such an opportunity go down the proverbial drain.
Tony Khan isn't stupid. He wouldn't waste such a lucrative opportunity only to become the talk of the internet. If CM Punk ever does return to wrestling, expect to know about it in advance, for money's sake.
