The old saying in professional wrestling is “never say never,” but when it came toCM Punkreturning toWWE, for many years, it truly was a “never happening” scenario. The relationship between the two was sour at best, volatile at worst, and seemed like it was irreparable until Triple H, who had a troubled history with Punk, took the reins, and an impossible pathway seemed possible.
In the premiere episode of the ESPN+ show “Stephanie’s Places,” former WWE CEOStephanie McMahonsat with Punk to discuss his return while reflecting on her own return. CM Punk, reflective of the history between him and the McMahon/Helmsley regime, shared some details aboutthe repair process between him and Triple Hprior to his return.
CM Punk and WWE: a Brief History
A Contentious Relationship Soured For Years
The story of CM Punk and WWE is a famous and toxic one that began in 2006, when Punk first debuted on ECW, leading to a meteoric rise in stature, quickly becoming wrestling fans' favorite authority-bucking outlaw since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Culminating in arecord-breaking WWE Championship reign of 434 days, intertwined with one of the best John Cena feuds of his career, the infamous “Pipe Bomb” promo, andbeing a “Paul Heyman Guy,“dissension behind the scenes and creative frustrations led to an acrimonious relationship to sour.
Punk continued with WWE through 2014,when he suddenly departed from the company, beginning a decade of back-and-forth barbs from each party, and Punk continued to publicly rebuke WWE and professional wrestling in general,stating that he’d never return to the squared circle.Punk’s first shocking return to professional wrestling in 2021 when he signed with AEW, becoming a two-time AEW Champion beforeexiting the company under controversial circumstances in 2023, and with Triple H at the helm of WWE after Vince McMahon’s departure, it seemed like the bolted closed door may finally have some give to open.
CM Punk’s Shocking Return To WWE
The Day That Hell Froze Over
The most shocking return in WWE history occurred during 2023’sSurvivor Series: WarGames, as CM Punk officially returned to the company after almost a decade away. During his conversation with Stephanie McMahon on “Stephanie’s Places,” Punk spoke about how his return “scared the crap out of him.”
CM Punk: “Everything else is the easy way out, and I don’t think you learn anything and I don’t think you grow. There was no reward without the risk, you know, and fortune favors the bold. The flip side to that is that you fall on your face a lot and I think the older and the wiser you get, that a lot of things are just on the job training. When are you ever ready to do anything? Were you ready to be a mom?”
Stephanie McMahon: “Nope, scared to death the whole time.”
CM Punk: “Yeah. The more frequently I’ve applied that in my life – ‘This is terrifying.’ Just do it. You have to try new and different things, and you’ll never know what’s going to happen. It’s fascinating for me to sit here and talk to you about this because you’re married to someone I had a contentious relationship with.”
Punk also reflected on his sudden break with the company andthe part he played in the breakdown:
“I certainly made mistakes. I certainly did dumb things. I certainly was a schmuck, and I think there was some stuff that was, you know, unfair and unjust, whatever. The broader spectrum, we’re talking about how many countries we’re in worldwide and the millions of people around the world – they just know that one day I was gone.”
CM Punk leaving WWE, by all accounts, was necessary for both parties, as circumstances had become untenable for everyone and was not fixable for many years. His return to wrestling, and the circumstances in which he left AEW, opened the door for a necessary phone call and the beginning of a new path forward, one that took place during the McMahon/Helmsley Thanksgiving Dinner.
CM Punk and Triple H Mend Fences
Stephanie Blames Punk For Taking Triple H Away From Thanksgiving
During his conversation with Stephanie McMahon, CM Punk reflected on the conversation he had with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque prior to his return in 2023 and his emotional feelings leading up to the moment he walked out of the Gorilla Position to the crowd.
CM Punk: “Thanksgiving, I’m on a Zoom call with your husband, having a conversation we should have had ten years ago, and I’m telling him ‘Yeah don’t worry about it, go cut the turkey, go spend time with your family’ and he’s like ‘No, this is – we gotta do this.'”
Stephanie McMahon: “So it was your fault.”
CM Punk: “100%. I ruined turkey dinner. . I think everything came together so fast. I was still unsure of a lot of stuff and there definitely is that part of the performer’s brain. There was that ‘will they remember me? Are they going to care?’ I think me and your husband are way more similar than maybe even today we want to admit. I felt it was going to be a big deal and then that wash over me – I think it was like, ‘Oh, this is way bigger of a deal than I thought it was. Okay, we got something here.'”
The crowd in Chicago was electric for his return, as was the WWE Universe, who helpedmake it the most viewed and socially posted return in WWE history.From a distant “never happening” pipe dream to reality in front of a sold-out Chicago crowd, CM Punk returned to WWE and began another incredible chapter in his career, marked with a literal blood feud with Drew McIntyre and apotential WrestleMania main eventwith Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins atWrestleMania 41.
Our Take on CM Punk’s Appearance on “Stephanie’s Places”
A Solid Show With Stories Told From Stephanie’s Perspective
An easy watch for both WWE fans and those who’ve never watched the product,“Stephanie’s Places” offers a first-hand account of Stephanie’s lifethrough her time in WWE, and how it relates to the current top stars of the company. Providing insight into a lifetime inside the squared circle and the business itself, McMahon is both a copilot and main character as she weaves through each person’s story.
CM Punk’s story in this episode doesn’t break too much new ground in terms of the facts, but it certainly adds a layer of emotion that gives a deeper understanding of what all parties were feeling as the fences began to be mended. The episode itself hinges on the idea of grand returns to places you loved, and how those moments can be cathartic and necessary, and one of Punk’s final statements in the episode rings true for anyone watching, fearful of taking any step in their lives:
“If your dreams don’t scare the s*** out of you, you need bigger dreams.”
Considering the tumultuous relationshipCM Punkhad withTriple Hduring his first tenure in WWE, the fact that these two were able to reconcile not just in the name of doing (very good) business together but also on a personal, human level shows that both have grown significantly over the past ten years, and theWWEfans can only benefit from it.
