WWE: Why Wrestling Fans Will Be Glued To CM Punk On Saturday
By Josh Raibick
Ever since CM Punk’s departure from WWE in January 2014, fans have wondered if he will ever step back into the squared circle again. This Saturday at UFC 225 could be the start or end of that conversation, but either way wrestling fans will be engaged.
In the past four plus years there has been a lot of bad blood boiling over between CM Punk and WWE. The feelings have been so bad in fact, that CM Punk’s love of wrestling seems to have deteriorated all together.
Then came a recent interview with Ariel Helwani in the build to Punk’s fight with Mike Jackson, where the former Voice of the Voiceless revealed that he has not been offered anything specific to wrestle. While some friends in the industry have given Punk an open invite to return to wrestle, there is yet to be a detailed offer that includes a date, opponent, and money.
Well now hold up, has it really been that easy to get Punk to return to pro wrestling? Probably not. Punk in his first year away from wrestling was burnt out and healing from injuries, and the better part of the past three years has been focused on his MMA career.
With all of that said, CM Punk is entering the crossroads of his UFC career this Saturday at UFC 225, and either way should have wrestling fans intrigued. UFC, which is the WWE of the MMA world, is obviously where the Chicago native wants to be right now and in the near future.
The consensus is the loser of CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson will be finished with the company, while the winner will certainly have a resurgence. Either Punk will lose and be ridiculed again for being in a spot that others do not feel he deserved, or the former WWE front man will prove the doubters wrong.
The theme is simple, lose and go home or win and live to fight another day. For fans of Punk, there is hope that he will win and add more credibility to his name even if it means delaying a return to wrestling.
On the other side there are wrestling fans that felt Punk deserted them and are likely rooting for a Mike Jackson win. The truth is wrestling fans are going to be glued to Punk’s fight this Saturday, because he had a big impact on the WWE Universe during his run to the top of WWE from 2011 to his departure.
Some members of the internet wrestling community might be too proud to admit this now, but the majority of wrestling fans want CM Punk back in a squared circle. The outcome of Punk’s fight could just simply determine his next fight being in UFC or Bellator, or it could be the closing of Punk’s MMA career and continuation of his wrestling career.
Who is to say that if Punk wins on Saturday that he does not retire from MMA? Punk has admitted on numerous occasions that he only takes life one obstacle at a time, so it is impossible to predict Punk’s next move when he does not know it himself.
Still, All In 2018 in Chicago is a tempting return to wrestling for CM Punk. Outside of his wife and dog, there is nothing that Punk loves more than the Second City.
With UFC 225 being less than three months away from the All In show, you can bet that wrestling fans will be hoping for Punk to remain in great health. In a sport where two competitors get locked in a cage and then are instructed to dismantle their opponent, good health is far from a guarantee.
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Either way, wrestling fans will have a WWE Money In The Bank 2011 flashback when Punk enters the Allstate Arena once again to a hero’s welcome. This could very well be the last time fans see CM Punk perform in a big venue, yet again…maybe not.