CM Punk: ‘If It Was All About Money, I’d Have Probably Been Headlining WrestleMania This Past Year’

CM Punk did field offers from WWE about a potential return to wrestling and did not sign his contract AEW until he absolutely had to.

The wrestling world has been abuzz about CM Punk ever since he returned to professional wrestling through AEW. Friday, August 20, 2021, will forever be a special day in the world of professional wrestling because of the reaction that CM Punk got when he returned to wrestling in his home city of Chicago, Illinois at the United Center.

However, CM Punk arrived at the United Center that day without a contract being signed. It wasn’t until his lawyer told him that he should probably sign the contract before going out to the ring that he signed 30 minutes before appearing on TV, according to a new story by ESPN. Similarly, CM Punk did not sign his WWE contract in 2011 until the day of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.

However, CM Punk also reveals that he did field offers from WWE about returning there instead, but ultimately, nothing ever got off the ground because “some things never change.”

“I remember one of the first things I ever said to them was, ‘Above all, don’t play games,'” Punk said. “And they played games. Some things never change. … When you enter a conversation with people you have a past with and you know who they are, how seriously can you take it? I know exactly who they are and they just continue to prove it. I’m trying to be as diplomatic as I possibly can.”

CM Punk would also say that while he did request proper compensation, it’s not all about the money for him because if it was, he would have been in the main event of WrestleMania this year.

“What I mean is, it’s not all about the money for me,” Punk said. “Because if it was, I would have probably been the main event of WrestleMania this past year. Or I would have been at the Royal Rumble. Everybody is different. Every situation is different. There’s some people that don’t like me, so all they’re going to hear is ‘Oh, he’s just doing it for the money.’ And I could give a shit

“The proof is in the pudding. Does it matter why I’m doing it? Do you really care? If you don’t like me, don’t watch. It’s a perfect storm. It’s a lot of everything. It’s the money, it’s the freedom. It’s the creative, and it’s the possibility of working with young, talented people that excite me.”

Now, CM Punk is in the main event of All Out, returning to the ring for the first time in seven years to wrestle Darby Allin. Fightful will have live coverage and on-location coverage of all out on Sunday, September 5.