AEW Rumors: Officials no longer interested in working with CM Punk
According to Cageside Seats, Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that officials at AEW are no longer interested in working with CM Punk. Meltzer says that AEW officials were irked by CM Punk's comments in an ESPN interview when he said that they only texted him offers.
What did CM Punk say about AEW?
In an interview with ESPN, CM Punk commented on his possible signing with the company. He said,
"The last thing I got -- I got a text from Cody [Rhodes]. And again, I almost don't even know how to reply to them sometimes, because if I reply, they do interviews and are like, "Oh yeah, I just talked to Punk." I'm kind of damned if I do, damned if I don't. I always think if somebody wants to do business with me, they can come talk to me. Texting offers isn't really a way to do good business, at least."
How did Cody Rhodes respond to CM Punk's comments?
In an interview with Collider Live to promote AEW Dynamite, Cody Rhodes had the following to say with regards to CM Punk.
"He did ... kind of... make us look like dumba**es, saying we sent him a text message offer, I'm sure, we texted him but we also called him. Someone else also met you in a coffee shop. We made genuine efforts, but in this case, 2019, it's been some time away from the ring. We have to focus on who really wants to be on board."
Why is AEW no longer interested in working with CM Punk?
During the segment on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that CM Punk's comments burnt his bridge with the company. Meltzer said that this came from a first-hand source. He further commented:
"“Even though AEW has told me that they would never work with him, and I believe that they believe that on this day... they told me that after the Marc Raimondi article. They were very - I said like. I mean my thought was you never say never, but, no no... it would be difficult. But, yeah yeah, it was pretty much told to me that they would never - they felt very disrespected by what he said, and they should have if you know what the real story was and I can’t go into too much detail, but I do know it, and, you know, it’s Punk.”
Is CM Punk going back to WWE?
It's quite possible at this point. CM Punk's audition for the FS1 show WWE Backstage went well and that could be the start of a comeback. Do note that if he does land the role, he would still be technically working for FOX and not WWE. However, if he actually returned to wrestling, CM Punk could get a huge payday and work a schedule like Brock Lesnar or Goldberg. It's going to be interesting how things pan out.