CM Punk explains how Vince McMahon “being out of the picture” paved way for his return to WWE

CM Punk returned to WWE in 2023 after years of a sour relationship with the company.

CM Punk explains how Vince McMahon “being out of the picture” paved way for his return to WWE

CM Punk and Vince McMahon (via WWE)

Many thought that there was no chance of CM Punk returning to WWE after he walked out of the promotion in 2014. He had burned way too many bridges, spoken negatively about the company’s sponsors and partners, and abused nearly every member of the top management, including Vince McMahon. Regardless, the unthinkable finally took place in 2023, and The Second City Saint talked about his journey back. 

Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Punk said that Vince McMahon finally being out of the company paved the way for his return. He had a terrible relationship with Vinnie Mac. The Straight Edge Superstar believed that the 78-year-old snubbed wrestlers out of proper healthcare. Furthermore, he believed that he was intentionally fired from the company on the day of his wedding. The former chairman has since denied this allegation and apologized for the confusion. 

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This, along with a plethora of other issues, created a lot of differences between the two. Now that one of them was no longer in the picture, it opened up a lot of things. He emphasized that many stars had to align for him to come back. Returning to the company was not something that was constantly on his mind. Thus, the Voice of the Voiceless made his thunderous return to the company at Survivor Series: WarGames.

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Although McMahon was removed from all official positions in the company when the former WWE Champion made his return, there were rumors that he still had a lot of creative control over the product. Two months after Punk’s return, McMahon was fully kicked out of the company owing to the Janel Grant lawsuit.

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CM Punk talks about his favorite AEW match

Something that barely anyone expected to see was Punk returning to professional wrestling after 2014. Regardless, the Best in the World came back after a seven-year hiatus and debuted in AEW in August 2021. It was not long after that he had his first PPV match against Darby Allin at All Out 2021. During the interview with Denise Salcedo, he revealed that it was his favorite match during his time in the company. 

CM Punk Darby Allin
CM Punk and Darby Allin (via AEW)

CM Punk mentioned that it was a special moment for Allin as well. He thought that the 31-year-old was talented, and he was happy to share the ring with him. They told a nice little story, and it marked a great return to professional wrestling for the Chicago native.

Much like his idol, Darby Allin has adopted a straight-edge lifestyle, rejecting the consumption of drugs and alcohol. This choice of lifestyle, along with his punk rock look and attitude, made Punk Allin’s favorite superstar while growing up. 

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