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CM Punk was a guest on the Pardon My Take podcast to promote his new film, Girl on the Third Floor. He was asked how much it would take to get him to come back to WWE and Punk said it would have to be in the range of 20-25 Million dollars. He also insisted he would not work a Saudi show.
Is CM Punk returning to WWE?
CM Punk has said that a return to pro wrestling is possible. At the same time, there have always been rampant rumors that he would either debut in AEW or return to WWE. So far, the closest he came was an audition for the FS1 show WWE Backstage. While his audition went off well, Fox executives decided to move on and he hasn't heard anything since then.
It's also been rumored that Vince McMahon is open to the idea and all that CM Punk has to do is call him. It was also rumored by Dave Meltzer that Punk was looking for a blank check offer. Meltzer elaborated and said,
"Even though there are guys on the undercard who have gotten some great offers, like Anderson & Gallows, and certain guys on top like Lesnar are making money like few in the history of the industry have ever made, WWE hasn’t been signing blank checks and guys who are near the top asking for giant money haven’t gotten the blank check. Those in WWE believe Punk is another guy looking for that."
"Both sides have had their moments where they’ve sworn off ever doing business with him, but this is wrestling and it’s competition and if there is the belief he can move numbers, there is no such thing as never."
How much does CM Punk want for a WWE comeback?
CM Punk was asked on the Pardon My Take podcast how much money would it take to bring him back and Punk said it would be in the range of 20-25 Million. He further said,
"I don't think they have that much money. Maybe I can be paid in stocks. I think the conversation would have to start at somewhere like, 20, 25 [million]. I'm not doing a single (Saudi Arabia show)." (H/T Fightful)
CM Punk was also asked if Vince McMahon does anything that is not for content and Punk said that Vince doesn't do anything without a camera being involved. He further explained,
"No, he's in that business. The whole thing with the Network, it's all content. That's the world we live in. Everybody has their own streaming service and everybody needs content. Everyone is producing their own TV show. Hulu, Netflix, they're producing their own shows and movies instead of paying people for their stuff. Everybody wants their own IP. That's the smart way to go. I don't think Vince does anything without a camera being involved and trying to make a show out of it."(H/T Fightful)
What's next?
CM Punk said he was looking for a blank check and now, he has named his price. Punk is quite aware that he is the hottest free agent in wrestling and knows that WWE will have to shell out a lot of money for him to come back. It's unclear whether WWE will grant him this offer or even come close to it. But there's no doubting that he will get eyes on the product if signed. Only time will tell how things pan out.
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