CM Punk fueled speculation on a return to WWE through his Instagram stories Wednesday.
The 44-year-old has not made an appearance in pro wrestling since his post-show news conference after All Elite Wrestling's "All Out" event. In what has been called the "Brawl Out" by fans, Punk and his trainer Ace Steel got into a fight with the company's executive vice presidents, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson. The real-life fight stemmed from Punk's comments from his news conference where he went on an expletive-filled rant on the poor job he felt the EVPs were doing.
Things reached a boiling point as rumors swirled Punk had his former best friend, Colt Cabana, sent away from AEW to Ring of Honor. Neither the EVPs or president Tony Khan, who owns ROH, publicly denied the rumors, which led to an online backlash from fans. Punk appeared to have enough, and his public criticisms allegedly were enough for the EVPs.
After an internal investigation, the company parted ways with Steel and Omega, and the Jackson brothers returned to AEW programming at "Full Gear" on Nov. 19. Punk is still under contract with the company, but both sides reportedly are working on a buyout. The sticking point in negotiations reportedly is a non-compete clause, with AEW likely not wanting Punk to jump ship to another pro wrestling company right away.
The popular choice among fans for Punk to turn to is a return to WWE, who he walked away from in 2014 and retired from pro wrestling before returning with AEW in 2021. The former world champion fueled that fire when he posted old photos from his time in WWE on his Instagram stories.
The second photo likely is one where Punk is looking back at a fond memory. The person he tagged, former WWE star Mickie James, also expressed nostalgia when commenting on the photo.
The first picture is left merely to speculation. Luke Gallows is in the background back when he was doing his "Festus" gimmick, and it's possible Punk just found the photo funny.
But those with wider imaginations can only speculate on if Punk will make a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble next month.
