The Problem with CM Punk | Why wrestling fans are polarized after the return of CM Punk to the WWE?

The Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois blew up when a familiar guitar refrain began to echo around the arena, as the crowd became unglued - surely the local hero wouldn’t return to the company that he explicitly stated previously cost him his health and led him on a seven-year sabbatical away from the business. Chicago’s own CM Punk made his return to the very company he has spent time burying since walking out on the WWE in 2004, proving yet again that anything can happen in the world of wrestling - and it usually does. 

But as opposed to Punk’s almighty return to wrestling with AEW’s “The First Dance” in 2021, a lot has gone on between then and his return to the company since its merger with the UFC to form TKO earlier this year. What was once the return of “the voice of the voiceless” and a beloved athlete who we felt was constantly being dogged by booking decisions backstage and politicking by other wrestlers, is now considered by some an almighty crash gran and the “last dance” for one Phil Brooks. After all, this is a person who was fired “with cause” after his last issue at AEW’s celebrated UK debut, “All Out” at Wembley Stadium earlier this year. 

Tribalism exists in wrestling, as it does in many sports, but it’s more vehement at times on the internet, where wrestling fans such as myself scrawl the dirtsheets to find as much behind-the-scenes information about a “sport” that, for as much as it is predetermined, can be utterly unpredictable when it comes to the athletes involved. 

As much as many people are happy to see CM Punk return to the WWE, given he has a proven track record of getting viewers to watch the shows he is a part of (AEW viewing figures can attest to that), shifting merchandise and getting people talking, there is also a sect that falls into that “tribalistic” sect that isn’t happy to see him back - with critiques ranging from being a bad influence given the trouble backstage at AEW during his return to being a bit of a hypocrite returning to the company given the amount of condemnation he made about the WWE during “that” podcast with his former friend, Colt Cabana.

So what is the problem with CM Punk with certain wrestling fans, and why can we still not get enough of the future Hall of Famer despite his behaviour at times backstage reportedly being “problematic”? 

Why do wrestling fans have a problem with CM Punk returning to the WWE?

His backstage fights - All In 2022 and AEW All Out 2023

We could start with his explosive tell-all podcast he undertook with former friend Colt Cabana when he first walked out of the WWE, but perhaps more pressing is the fact that in his short tenure with All Elite Wrestling, CM Punk was involved in not one but two backstage altercations - one involving executive vice presidents, the other the late Luke Perry’s son.

“Brawl Out” as it was called at the time refers to a fight that occurred between CM Punk, his friend and trainer Ace Steel and members of The Elite: Matt and Nick Jackson and Kenny Omega, three of whom were EVPs of AEW at the time. The most definitive of reports after widespread speculation from both The Elite and CM Punk’s camps across the dirt sheet landscape claim that there was animosity between the two parties after some comments made during an in-ring promo (interview) between Punk and then AEW Champion, Adam Page.

Page made a comment about workers' rights which, weeks later, CM Punk appeared to take umbrage with after calling out Page during an in-ring interview; something that was not scripted and instead was viewed as Punk calling out Page for what he felt was a slight regarding Colt Cabana being “moved” from his role in AEW to the Ring of Honor promotion instead. That was viewed as a means of Tony Kahn’s pacifying Punk’s “ego” to the detriment of Cabana who was with the company from its early days pre-pandemic. Cabana is also revered by a number of AEW wrestlers after demonstrating you can make a living being an independent wrestler, influencing the likes of The Young Bucks for example. 

That led to he said/she said comments across wrestling dirt sheets, with Punk giving a frank, uncomfortable press conference at the end of All Out 2022, taking aim initially as Nick Hausmann, a wrestling journalist who “had” links to Colt Cabana, and then burying a number of the EVPs who formed AEW, stating they couldn’t manage a target, that they were kids and he was tired of dealing with them, followed by a dig at Colt Cabana sharing a bank account with his mother. 

The whole thing erupted after his press conference, with Ace Steel fired for biting Kenny Omega, accusations of chairs being thrown and suspensions for The Elite and CM Punk. Punk came back after his suspension, with Tony Kahn creating “AEW Collision,” a new Saturday evening television show which, according to rumour, was based around CM Punk as the focus of the show - with The Elite and Kenny Omega remaining on AEW’s Wednesday night show, “Dynamite.”

However, Punk would once again get into a backstage altercation, but this time mere moments before AEW’s landmark UK show, “All Out” earlier this year. On this occasion, he took exception to a comment Jack Perry (the son of the late “Beverly Hills 90210” star Luke Perry) made during the pre-show broadcast about the use of glass and for someone to “cry him a river.” Punk was that someone.

As Perry returned to the back, he was met by CM Punk who asked if they had a problem; queue another fight, only this time in the vicinity of AEW owner (and CM Punk superfan) Kahn apparently threatened during the melee - leading to CM Punk being fired from the company “with cause,” with the general belief that with Wembley Stadium having cameras everywhere, the ruckus was caught on tape and not a very good look for Punk.

Accusations of being a politician, despite previously stating he hates wrestling politics

We go back now to “AEW Collision,” which as mentioned was viewed as a show CM Punk would front as its flagbearer. But that wasn’t all - it has been mentioned that Punk had a level of ownership of the brand, with some creative control over what works and what doesn’t work on “his” brand. 

That shot that Jack Perry took at “All Out” stemmed from Punk’s “creative control,” with Perry looking to be written out of a storyline as he had planned vacation the week leading up to “All Out.” He wanted to use tempered glass as part of a storyline where he would be “injured,” leading to his vacation period while written off-screen. He was given the all clear from higher-ups, but when CM Punk got wind of the idea, shut it down by telling Perry “We don’t do that on this show,” in what some considered stifling a young wrestler’s creative ideas.

Punk has previously discussed his issues with WWE creative, including writing staff giving him scripts to read out in the ring, which he would routinely tear up in their faces as a “middle finger” to how poor he felt the creative to be. In this situation though, it was at the expense of what AEW at one stage considered one of their “four pillars of heaven,” alongside MJF, Sammy Guevara and Darby Allin.

Punk also was entitled to prevent certain wrestlers from attending tapings - this included Christopher Daniels. The problem is however that Daniels is also a talent co-ordinator so was required to be there - it’s his job. However, Punk still manages to ensure anyone associated with The Young Bunks was not welcome on “his” show. It evoked memories of a comment WWE Hall of Famer Booker T made once regarding Punk’s backstage attitude - he said he considered himself a lockerroom leader, but the elder statesmen in the WWE at that time felt otherwise. 

His less-than-favourable comments about WWE Creative and Triple H

The Colt Cabana “Art of Wrestling” podcast from 2014 featuring CM Punk has become one of wrestling’s biggest moments after the very angry, frustrated CM Punk finally discussed the reasons why he walked out on the WWE that year - and there were more than a few pointed jabs towards current WWE Head of Creative, Triple H. 

“It wasn't an easy decision to make but it was also a long time coming. I don't know, this will probably come up in the next episode, people can ask questions and there's a lot of assumption out there from people: I was disgruntled with my storylines, I was banged up, I was mad that I wasn't the main event of WrestleMania, I was mad that I was wrestling Triple H” he revealed in the first of the two-part podcast. 

Punk then  went on to discuss a meeting he had with WWE owner Vince McMahon: “You have shackled me, you have creatively stifled me, you have made this a very toxic environment, I no longer want to be here.' I said 'It boggles my mind how Daniel Bryan has not figured into your plans to be in the main event of WrestleMania because this is his f***ing year. Just like two years ago it was my fucking year and I was white f***ing hot just like he is now and what did you do? You fed me to this guy' and I pointed right at Hunter.”

Punk has made no bones about his contentious relationship with Triple H, something that “The Game” addressed during the WWE Survivor Series post-show press conference on Sunday morning, stating that ten years between then and now are a long time and people have definitely grown since then. Still, it doesn’t account for the “digs” that Punk made towards the WWE during his celebrated feud with MJF at the tail end of 2021 and earlier in 2022. 

One such line that has since made the rounds on social media since Punk’s return to the WWE suggested that while MJF goes and checks if the grass is greener, Punk will remain in AEW until MJF’s return. Funnily enough, MJF recently signed a new long-term deal with AEW, while Punk’s gone over to where the “grass” was apparently “greener.”

His legal case against the WWE Medical Team

The legal case that led to the falling out between CM Punk and Colt Cabana all stemmed from comments made during the “Art of Wrestling” podcast, when Punk claimed mistreatment by WWE and its medical staff, specifically accusing Dr Chris Amann of misdiagnosing a serious staph infection and inadequately treating other injuries, including a concussion. Punk went on to express concerns about WWE prioritizing profit over the well-being of its wrestlers.

In response to these damaging remarks, Dr. Amann filed a defamation lawsuit in February 2015 against CM Punk and Colt Cabana, seeking around $4 million in damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages. WWE publicly supported Dr. Amann throughout the legal proceedings.

The case went to court in 2018, and the jury ruled in favour of CM Punk and Colt Cabana, dismissing Dr Amann's claims. However, the legal saga took a surprising turn when Colt Cabana filed a lawsuit against CM Punk in August 2018, alleging breach of contract and fraud. Cabana claimed there was an agreement between them regarding the coverage of legal fees related to the Amann lawsuit. He sought $200,000 in damages and an additional $1 million in punitive damages.

In response, CM Punk counterclaimed in June 2019, demanding $600,000 and additional fees. The complex legal battles eventually reached a resolution in September 2019 when both lawsuits were settled and dismissed.

CM Punk is scheduled to appear on this evening's WWE Raw, which airs on TNT Sports in the UK from 1am on Tuesday November 28 2023.