Hot Take: WWE Must Bring Back CM Punk Amid Rumors Triple H May Be Interested

WWE needs to bring back CM Punk.

It's an idea uttered by fans for nearly a decade now. But this time it has quite a different ring and air of importance to it in the wake of his presumed exit from All Elite Wrestling.

Punk potentially leaving AEW would seem to signal he's done with pro wrestling as a whole—for good this time—given what fans have long understood about his history with WWE and, primarily, a man by the name of Triple H.

However, pro wrestling is a game...one that The Game knows how to play.

It's not an aw-shucks coincidence that there are already rumblings of this sort of thing happening. According to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Punk would have never returned under Vince McMahon, but the new head of WWE Creative might be slightly more open to the idea.

And WrestleVotes told Louis Dangoor of Give Me Sport that Triple H has been slowly shifting his stance on the idea.

And the question is simple: Why wouldn't he be?

Sure, Wade Keller said on a recent PW Torch VIP Audio show (h/t Ortman) that at least one person near Triple H would never sign off on a Punk return.

But a Punk return would be one of the most stunning moments in modern pro wrestling history. Fans would be hard-pressed to name a scenario that would keep them more gripped and unblinking toward WWE programming and social media accounts than the return of the 44-year-old to the company he battled in a lawsuit after a messy exit—after a seven-year hiatus saw him return to the direct competition, only to often put down WWE.

Furthermore, this is pro wrestling and it's often just straight-up bizarre. The general distaste between Punk and Triple H has always been palpable, so it's only right it's The Game's grip on WWE Creative that gets Punk back.

If McMahon can mend fences with Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior and others, Triple H can do it with Punk for the sake of business and the sport as a whole—just as he helped bridge the gap between Vince and Bruno Sammartino.

Maybe the head of creative doesn't feel so inclined to put bad blood aside like his predecessor has for the sake of the company. But Punk would be the ultimate, unbeatable signal that this new era truly is willing to do whatever the fans most desire.

Punk returning because he "didn't get to finish on his own terms" in either company while taking potshots at WWE's direct competition is a win-win for all. Heck, having him come back as a jaded heel aligned with Triple H as a Corporate Punk for a huge star-making moment for a babyface would be sheer genius (We need an "I'm back in a bad place with bad fans but making boatloads of cash" promo, right?).

Regardless, detractors will point to this being just another aged legend showing up and taking the shine from younger stars. But it's a silly point with Punk given the way he put the likes of Eddie Kingston over in AEW. He'd presumably work an even looser part-timer schedule more akin to Brock Lesnar, too. If he's not in the main event scene, he's boosting up an already improving midcard scene as a new era continues.

Maybe the biggest talking point about Punk in WWE besides the messy exit is the current messy exit from AEW. But the details remain so clouded, unclear and will never be revealed to the point it's hardly worth discussing.

If Triple H believes the WWE ecosystem can prevent such a thing (and it surely can), fans already know the circumstances around Punk's first exit have helped the company modernize greatly in terms of Superstar health and other factors.

And frankly, all of this discussion goes out the window if Punk's static hits during WrestleMania season and the like soon. He's dealing with a lengthy injury, but getting his return on the books and letting a slow-burn of a feud build up will only benefit everyone.

WWE will always get more eyeballs from rolling out the likes of Logan Paul. But it can also appease a big portion of its hardcore fanbase in modern times with a smartly handled Punk return and saga—while letting the company get a one-up in the industry on its biggest competition, possibly making it look bad in the process.

By now, nothing is unbelievable. Punk returning to WWE after all this time and all this...stuff...would almost only be fitting.

And for a guy who would surely like a different swansong in a sport he's passionate about and a company that has forgiven more for less, getting back together only makes sense.

There's still a storybook ending for all involved there, and a once-thought-impossible opportunity sits available and almost painfully obvious.