On this day, one year ago, CM Punk shocked the wrestling world when he returned to WWE, close to a decade after his controversial 2014 exit. Punk's return came mere months after his similarly controversial termination from AEW but what happened behind the scenes in Chicago's All-State Arena?
CM Punk And Triple H
It was an agreement between CM Punk and WWE CCO Paul 'Triple H' Levesque that resulted in Punk's stunning return. It's therefore fitting that Punk's first comments after returning were to the Game.
"There's nowhere else to go. This is as high as we're going to get them. We've just gotta go home."
Punk and Levesque embraced, which set the tone for the scene backstage as Punk hugged many names backstage. Among them included Stephanie McMahon, Kofi Kingston, and fellow AEW alum William Regal and Cody Rhodes.
Punk was thrilled to get a photo with Levesque, who said that the image would "blow up the internet." True to his word, the picture instantly went viral and currently stands at close to 15 million views on X.
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Stealing Randy's Thunder
CM Punk wasn't the only notable return at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023, as Randy Orton made his in-ring return after being out with a back injury since May 2022. Backstage, Orton was jokingly furious that he couldn't have ten minutes to savor his return before Punk overshadowed him. The pair joked about Punk only returning to WWE to screw over the Viper before hugging it out.
WWE Superstar Reactions
Unsurprisingly, Punk's epic return drew a ton of reactions from the roster who had competed earlier in the night. Shotzi commented "What a way to do it!" to which Dakota Kai agreed, adding that the experience had a "weird" feeling. Bayley echoed countless members of the WWE Universe, calling Punk's stunning return "the freaking best!"
The loudest reaction of the night came from the Chicago crowd, who got to see Punk appear one more time after the show went off the air. In the 365 days since, Punk's momentum with the fans has yet to waver, even in the face of the injury he suffered earlier this year. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on CM Punk as he prepares to enter WarGames this weekend at Survivor Series: WarGames in Vancouver.