CM Punk made his long-awaited return to WWE at the conclusion of the Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL on Saturday night.
During the post-show media scrum, WWE Chief Creative Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed Punk’s surprise return to the company, noting that the initiative actually came from WWE and not TKO Group Holdings.
In fact, the higher-ups at TKO watched WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 without any clue of Punk’s return happening.
You can check out some highlights from the media event below:
On how the CM Punk return happened: “So, this is one of those things…this was one of those sort of lightning-in-a-bottle moments that came together very quickly, but we are incredibly excited about it. It’s been a long time, and in some ways, it’s been a long time coming. You know, you can say this about CM Punk. Love him, hate him, positive, negative, people talk about him, all the time. He’s a magnet for that. He’s a conversation starter. It’s tough to look past that. And for me, if our fans wanted it, if the WWE Universe is excited to have it, then let’s go. And we’ll figure out the rest of it from there. This came together super-quick, which is I’m sure why it stayed stayed tight.”
On the speculation behind Punk’s return: “You know, there’s a lot of at that point. For most of the time, it was nothing but speculation. It didn’t start to come to fruition until everybody stopped thinking it was going to happen, and then, all of the sudden, it was happening. But extremely excited. You know, a lot of time has gone by, almost 10 years, right? And if you are the same person you were 10 years ago, 10 years later, you’ve messed up. Everybody grows. Everybody changes, and I’m a different person. He’s a different person. This is a different company, and we’re all on the same even starting ground.”
On what’s next for CM Punk: “So, what’s next for CM Punk? That’ll be interesting, won’t it? I’m interested to see that myself. I know whatever it is, it will be talked about, it will be exciting, it will be a thrill ride for the WWE Universe no matter what it is, and I’m thrilled–we’re all thrilled to have him back here and to have him — it’s cliched to say — but to have him back home in WWE. It’s where he belongs.”
On if the push for a Punk return was something that came from TKO or TKO CEO Ari Emanuel: “There has been zero push from anybody past the WWE. It’s myself, Nick Khan, to be honest, very few people knew about it past that. You know, it’s a funny thing now. All of a sudden, there’s this mystery entity behind WWE.”
On WWE continuing to do its own thing: “Yeah, we’re doing our thing, and we’re trusted to do what we feel is right for business. I’ll be honest. Probably the top people at TKO were watching the show going, ‘Holy s***!’ It’s a cool thing, right? It’s a crazy, cool time in WWE right now. I think fans can feel that. There’s a lot of energy and excitement, and I’m — man, I’m ready. Let’s run through a wall. You know what I mean? Let’s do it in the biggest way possible. And just keep building on what Vince McMahon made into a global juggernaut for 50 years. And if I have anything to do with it and have any say in it, we’re going to make it bigger than it’s ever been before.”
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CM Punk’s return to WWE has sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling world. After a lengthy absence from the company, Punk made a surprise appearance at the Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 pay-per-view event in his hometown of Chicago, IL. The news of his return has sparked excitement and speculation among fans and industry insiders alike.
In a post-show media scrum, WWE Chief Creative Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque shed some light on how Punk’s return came to be. Contrary to popular belief, it was actually WWE who initiated the move, not TKO Group Holdings. The higher-ups at TKO were unaware of Punk’s return until they watched the event unfold like everyone else.
Levesque expressed his excitement about Punk’s return, acknowledging that he is a polarizing figure who generates a lot of discussion. Love him or hate him, Punk is undeniably a conversation starter. Levesque emphasized that if the WWE Universe wanted Punk back, then they were more than willing to make it happen.
The speculation surrounding Punk’s return had been ongoing for quite some time. However, it wasn’t until people stopped expecting it that the announcement was made. Levesque acknowledged that both he and Punk have changed over the past decade, and this return represents a fresh start for both of them.
As for what’s next for CM Punk, Levesque admitted that even he is curious to see where this journey will take them. He assured fans that whatever comes next will be talked about, exciting, and a thrill ride for the WWE Universe. Levesque also emphasized that there was no external pressure from TKO or TKO CEO Ari Emanuel for Punk’s return. This decision was solely driven by WWE.
Levesque also addressed the notion that WWE is now being influenced by an outside entity. He made it clear that WWE is still doing its own thing and trusted to make decisions that are right for business. He mentioned that the top people at TKO were likely surprised by Punk’s return, highlighting the energy and excitement surrounding WWE at the moment.
In conclusion, CM Punk’s return to WWE has been a game-changer. The circumstances surrounding his comeback have only added to the intrigue and excitement. As fans eagerly await Punk’s next move, it is clear that WWE is committed to making this return bigger and better than ever before.