WWE could make big CM Punk change within a few months, legendary manager predicts

CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames after almost a decade away from the company. Legendary wrestling manager Dutch Mantell believes the returning star is likely to work a full-time schedule at first before reducing his number of appearances.

Punk famously walked out of WWE in 2014. Upon his return, the 45-year-old received one of the loudest wrestling reactions in recent memory in his hometown of Chicago. On this week's RAW, he claimed to be a changed person and described WWE as "home."

Mantell worked for WWE under the name Zeb Colter during Punk's first run with the company. On Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the 73-year-old gave his take on The Straight Edge Superstar's probable schedule:

"I don't think he would be on the road full-time," Mantell said. "I think he may start out like that, then they'll pull him back. If they start showing the talent that he's being treated with difference – he's not there every night like they are – the talent, they won't like that." [7:06 – 7:29]

Punk competed regularly in AEW before receiving his release in September. Between June and August, he appeared in 10 televised matches. Roman Reigns, by contrast, has only wrestled seven times on WWE programming in 2023 so far.

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Dutch Mantell on CM Punk's appeal

WWE commentator Michael Cole repeatedly referred to CM Punk as "controversial" and "polarizing" on this week's RAW. The former WWE Champion often divides opinion due to his outspoken views and backstage behavior.

Dutch Mantell believes Punk is one of the few people in the wrestling business who can always create a buzz, both for good and bad reasons:

"Punk has a built-in innate purpose in life just to get people to talk about him. He got fired [from AEW], but if you go back before that he got fired in WWE too. So then he went to AEW and got fired, so we're thinking, 'Where's he going now?'" [2:26 – 2:51]

Punk's return amassed more than 87 million views across WWE's social media platforms within 24 hours.

Do you think CM Punk will wrestle a full-time schedule? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.