"A lot of people want it to be that" - WWE veteran feels controversial AEW star's return could lead to CM Punk's departure
WWE legend Booker T has weighed in with his thoughts on CM Punk's position in AEW, and believes that Tony Khan's recent booking is intended to try and mend fences rather than annoy his former World Champion.
Punk has been absent from AEW since his involvement in the backstage brawl now dubbed "Brawl Out" at the All Out pay-per-view, with many believing that he may be done with All Elite Wrestling entirely.
One sign that The Straight Edge Superstar might be done with AEW was the return of Colt Cabana, Punk's former best friend turned arch-enemy, who had been notably absent from the company since the former WWE Superstar's arrival in August 2021.
Colt Cabana vs Chris Jericho was Tony Khan’s idea.
It was more for the locker room than anything else, that having Cabana on the show and given a positive spotlight after months of being ostracized for reasons that had nothing to do with him
- WON https://t.co/vwbEGSndPi
But not everybody saw it that way, as Booker T claimed on his Hall of Fame podcast that bringing Colt Cabana back to AEW was a way to mend fences with CM Punk:
"That might be Tony Khan trying to mend fences. That might be what that is, right? I mean, let's get this guy back, let's get him on the card, try to put this behind us. It might be; I'm not saying that it isn't." [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Booker T stated that his reasoning for looking at things from a different angle is that there is a large portion of people whose opinions have soured on Punk since All Out.
"I'm just looking at it from the other side 'cause a lot of people want it to be that. They want it to be like, 'Yeah, screw CM Punk.' But I'm not willing to go there because – the reason I say that is there's a lot of money involved here. More than anything, CM Punk leaves? That's like a lot guys in WCW getting payoffs and sitting at home, getting boat loads of money," said Booker. [H/T Wrestling Inc]
CM Punk would leave AEW as a two-time World Champion
While some people have grown tired of Punk due to his actions at All Out, there is no denying that his run in AEW has been extremely successful.
During his run in AEW, the Straight Edge Superstar lost only two matches, with those matches coming against MJF and Jon Moxley. Despite those losses, Punk did avenge those wins in high-caliber pay-per-view matches.
#AndNew..
The hometown hero does it!
CM PUNK IS THE AEW WORLD CHAMPION!!
#AEWAllOut #AEW https://t.co/AzL38Ju0HC
The former WWE Champion also became the first man in AEW history to win the world title in two separate pay-per-view main events, defeating Hangman Page and Jon Moxley at Double or Nothing and All Out to clinch the gold.
Punk's run in AEW has most certainly been memorable, but whether there are any more memories to be made in the future remains to be seen.
Do you think CM Punk will return to AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!
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