CM Punk Not At Raw To Gauge WWE Interest

CM Punk caused a sensation on Monday night when he turned up backstage to WWE Raw despite his apparent imminent return to AEW.

Punk is believed to be on the verge of a return to AEW as the cornerstone of the company’s impending Saturday night show after last appearing in the company in September 2022 at All Out before the infamous backstage fight with The Elite occurred.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported that CM Punk was backstage at the Allstate Arena for Raw but was eventually asked to leave. Fightful Select offered more insight into the situation with a report that states Punk spoke to Triple H before the company’s head of security Jim Kelly asked him to leave – although exactly who asked Punk to go has not been confirmed but the former WWE Champion is said to have left “without incident.”

Now Johnson has followed up with a thorough breakdown of what happened noting that CM Punk happened to be on the same flight as several WWE talent who were heading to the show in Chicago as he was heading home from Florida after his commentary duties for Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

When Punk learned Raw was taking place at the Allstate Arena Punk turned up with other WWE talents and was said to have spent his time in a common area. According to witnesses when Punk saw Triple H, the two men shook hands with Punk asking if it was ok for him to be there. Allegedly Triple H is noted to have said he’d need to check with the “big guy” – a reference to Vince McMahon, who despite not being at the show made plenty of changes to it.

CM Punk is said to have spent more time with The Miz with the two men apparently burying the hatchet between them and everyone who saw the former WWE Champion is said to have greeted him warmly.

After twenty minutes, WWE security sent word that he could not stay and he left the building without incident. The report notes that suggestions Punk was trying to gauge WWE’s interest in a possible return for him were wide of the mark and the star is said to still be under a “lengthy” deal with AEW making even negotiations impossible.