WWE Rumors on CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, LA Knight, Edge and Drew McIntyre

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

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WWE Reportedly Not as High on Signing CM Punk as It Was Cody Rhodes

WWE could potentially make a huge splash by signing CM Punk now that he is a free agent, but the company reportedly isn't as excited about that prospect as it was about signing another former AEW star a year and a half ago.

According to HausofWrestling.com's Nick Hausman, there was far more internal buzz when Cody Rhodes became a free agent last year than there has been for Punk thus far.

Rhodes became the first huge name to defect from AEW to WWE, as the former AEW executive vice president and one of the company's founders made his WWE return as the surprise opponent for Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.

Since then, Rhodes has been firmly established as one of WWE's top stars, winning the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match and challenging Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 39.

While WWE reportedly isn't as high on the idea of signing Punk as it was Rhodes, it apparently remains possible.

Hausman noted that nobody he spoke to within WWE ruled out the idea of the company signing Punk, especially if "good business can be done."

Punk didn't leave WWE on great terms in January 2014, and he certainly didn't have positive things to say about his time in WWE upon signing with AEW in 2021.

Also, given that Punk had multiple backstage issues during his time in AEW that led to his firing from the company, WWE may be treading lightly due to concern about Punk possibly interrupting the locker room chemistry.

Still, Punk is a massive star, and there is no bigger signing WWE or any other wrestling company can make at the moment.

Punk was a multi-time world champion in WWE, and he went on to win the AEW World Championship twice, and oftentimes moved the needle when it came to ratings and attendance.

There are many intriguing matches and rivalries Punk could have in WWE, so signing him is something that should at least be considered even if it doesn't come to fruition.

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WWE Reportedly Had Long-Term Interest in Cargill, Creative is a 'High Priority'

WWE has reportedly had interest in signing Jade Cargill when her AEW contract expired for quite some time.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), some people in WWE heard of the company's interest in Cargill as early as July, and it now looks like she is trending toward joining WWE after three years with AEW.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson reported this week that Cargill's AEW contract was believed to have expired, and plans were in place for her to report to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) later reported that WWE has already been making creative plans for Cargill and view her likely arrival as a "big thing."

Meltzer also noted that while Cargill signing with WWE wasn't officially locked in as of Monday, the company made her a substantial financial offer compared to most other newcomers when they sign with the company.

Per Meltzer (h/t Upton), the creative plans for Cargill are related to the main roster rather than NXT, and WWE is making them a "high priority."

Before joining AEW in 2020, Cargill had never competed in a pro wrestling match. Despite that, she quickly emerged as one of the top stars in the women's division.

Jade went 60-0 before losing to Kris Statlander at Double or Nothing in May, ending her record reign of 508 days as the inaugural TBS champion.

Cargill seemingly possesses all of the superlatives WWE looks for in a Superstar, including athleticism, size, strength, charisma and a marketable look.

Refining her in-ring work is likely the last piece of the puzzle that Cargill needs to complete, and once that happens, she'll have the tools needed to be a star at the same level as Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley.

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WWE Reportedly Far Apart on Money with Knight, McIntyre, Edge

WWE reportedly isn't on the same page with three of its top stars when it comes to financial terms amid contract negotiations.

According to Meltzer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), WWE is "not close on money" with LA Knight, Drew McIntyre and Edge currently.

Knight is in the early stages of what seems to be a major push, as he won a battle royal at SummerSlam and later defeated The Miz in a singles match at Payback. He has also been getting consistent television and promo time on SmackDown, and often gets the biggest crowd reaction of the night.

PWInsider.com (h/t Upton) reportedly recently that Knight and WWE were closing in on a new deal of up to five years in length, but it apparently hasn't been made official yet.

There have long been rumors and speculation floating out there about McIntyre's contract status, and PWInsider Elite (h/t WrestlingInc's Liam O'Loughlin) reported last week that WWE added some time to McIntyre's contract while he was out injured, meaning it is set to expire in April 2024.

McIntyre was originally under contract with WWE from 2007 to 2014 before getting released. He returned to the company in 2017 and has been one of its top stars ever since.

He won the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match and went on to become a two-time WWE champion. He hasn't held a title in quite some time, but The Scottish Warrior remains a key player for WWE.

Edge is a WWE Hall of Famer who has made it clear that he is nearing the end of his career at 49 years of age.

Last month, he faced Sheamus on an episode of SmackDown in his hometown of Toronto in what Edge said was the final match on his WWE contract. He later confirmed that his deal ends at the conclusion of September.

PWTorch's Wade Keller reported last month that Edge "presented to WWE what it would take to retain his services, but WWE declined to meet his request," leading to an internal belief that Edge would sign with AEW.

The Rated-R Superstar refuted the report in a subsequent video, saying: "There's nothing going on. There's no hard feelings between me and WWE. I love WWE, it's my dream gig. It's all I ever wanted to do. I didn't come at them with some crazy contract or anything, they didn't deny me. I have a contract extension sitting in my inbox, I just don't know what to do."

AEW is likely an option for Edge if he wants to take that route, but his comments suggest he hasn't closed the door on WWE either.

Knight, McIntyre and Edge are all performers who can be main event players for WWE at any time, so it stands to reason that WWE will be hard at work in the coming weeks and months to lock all of them into deals if possible.

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