CM Punk officially made his return to WWE Raw tonight after almost 10 years away from the company. Punk showed up for Raw’s closing segment, delivering a heartfelt promo that declared one major way in which Punk has changed since his last run in the company.
“Looks like Hell froze over,” Punk began. The former AEW World Champion then referenced his Chicago Blackhawks fandom, telling the crowd that he had to stay true to himself. “Lately, I’ve been feeling a little bit more like myself. Ever since Saturday, which was a career highlight for me, I’ve been trying to come up with the words and the language to explain to all of you exactly how I feel. And I’ve come to two words, and I’m afraid to say them, honestly.
“And it’s not because they’re not true. It’s because I’m a little bit scared of how true they are. And it’s a little bit corny, and it’s a little bit cheesy, and it’s not gonna sound like CM Punk, but I’ve changed. And once upon a time, an American Dream taught me that as long as you speak from the heart, you cannot go wrong, because it’s the truth. And this is the truth: I’m home.”
The promo had shades of Punk’s first AEW promo, with the veteran speaking of his love for the fans and for the industry. Punk also shared something that a certain “wise man” once told him: that he would have to leave WWE and come back one day to fully appreciate things. The WWE star also assured the fans that his wife, former WWE star AJ Lee, sends her regards. He also referenced reports that Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre were visibly unhappy with Punk’s presence – likely setting up storylines with Punk. Finally, Punk reassured fans that he is, in fact, the “Best in the World,” and he is back in WWE. The final words said by Punk on air tonight?
“I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make money.”
Punk’s return was successfully kept secret heading into WWE Survivor Series WarGames on Saturday. Ever since Punk was fired from AEW in September, speculation regarding a possible WWE return ran wild, especially with Vince McMahon reportedly out of the creative picture. However, WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque stated in the post-Survivor Series press conference that talks with Punk began quite late, with the former AEW star only putting ink to paper on Saturday morning, hours before his debut.
After years of a rocky relationship, things between Punk and WWE finally disintegrated in 2014, resulting in Punk leaving the company. An appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast, The Art of Wrestling, eventually led to a lawsuit involving Punk, Cabana, and WWE. Punk made his return to wrestling by joining AEW in 2021, with a run lasting two years before he was let go following an alleged physical confrontation at AEW All In. Punk reportedly spoke to Levesque on the phone at length earlier this month, ensuring that the two sides were able to come to terms on a multi-year contract for the controversial star.