Is Vince McMahon stopping CM Punk's WWE return? Bitter history explored

CM Punk has been rumoured to make a WWE return but there’s a significant amount of uncertainty around the situation. Ever since his AEW exit, he reportedly showed interest in returning to Titanland but there are obstacles surrounding this reunion.

One of the first hindrances in his return is the bitter history with Vince McMahon. In fact, previous reports claimed that The Big Man turned down the opportunity to bring CM Punk back to WWE, even when FOX pushed for it shortly before The Second City Saint signed with AEW.

Punk’s controversial exit in 2014 left the WWE Universe in shock. Once he exited the company, fans learnt more about his health issues that weren’t prioritized by WWE, how he was never given the chance to headline WrestleMania, and other grievances that led to him walking out of the company.

Furthermore, the story turned even more sour when WWE sent Punk his termination papers on his wedding day with AJ Lee. While Vince McMahon and others have claimed it was an unfortunate coincidence, not everyone believes it.

Given the history between the former WWE Champion and the company, The Big Man, and The Game over the years, it's plain to see why a return is far from a sure thing.

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Vince McMahon’s refusal towards CM Punk may have led to removal from creative team

Before WWE and UFC came together to form TKO, Vince McMahon seemingly had a large influence over creative.

However, since TKO formed, Triple H holds the reigns over. As a result, even if Vince McMahon says a no, it may not negatively impact the possibility CM Punk’s return to the company.

Jim Cornette made an observation during the Jim Cornette Experience podcast that shed light on a possible reason why Vince McMahon was moved away from creative.

"Potentially if Vince [McMahon] did blow [CM] Punk off or did decide against Punk... Is that why maybe Vince is being rumored to be away from creative now? Did Ari [Emanuel] have a situation with Vince over this, over potentially not wanting Punk to come back in? Is there disagreement there amongst the higher-ups?"

As of now, it’s unclear if CM Punk is actually coming back to WWE or not. There have been several returns ever since Triple H gained creative control. However, it’s been said that he will return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023.

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