WWE Rumors on CM Punk Backstage and Matt Riddle in MMA; Mandy Rose Talks Future

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

Management Still has 'Bad Feelings' About CM Punk

CM Punk might be fueling speculation about a potential return to WWE, but that doesn't mean his former company is interested.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said Punk does not have many fans among WWE executives.

"There's a lot of people with bad feelings in management about CM Punk in WWE, but there's nobody in management with a bad feeling about Matt Riddle," Meltzer said.

Punk was fired by AEW earlier this month after he had a backstage altercation with Jack Perry. The dismissal ended a tumultuous run for Punk in AEW, as his presence undoubtedly created as many headaches as headlines.

WWE is no stranger to having issues with Punk, with the company firing him on his wedding day and a revealing podcast with Colt Cabana leading to several lawsuits. Punk and current WWE head of creative Paul Levesque (better known as Triple H) had a contentious relationship during the former's run.

While a CM Punk return would be unlikely if the McMahon family still had control over WWE, that's no longer the case. Endeavor now owns a majority stake in the wrestling promotion and may see dollar signs when it comes to a Punk return.

Punk left UFC on good terms after a failed attempt at an MMA career, so it's possible Endeavor might sign off on a WWE return without the approval of current management.

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Matt Riddle Receiving MMA Interest

Matt Riddle once left the world of MMA for WWE. Now that his professional wrestling career is in doubt, it seems MMA promotions are looking to bring him back into the fold.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio said a "major promotion" has expressed interest in Riddle to make an MMA comeback.

"I do know that Riddle has got at least one major MMA promotion, if not more, that are interested in bringing him back to MMA," Meltzer said.

WWE released Riddle last week as part of ongoing budget cuts related to the launch of TKO. The 37-year-old's presence has been inconsistent throughout the 2023 calendar year after he was suspended last December for 60 days for a violation of the company's wellness policy. He had recently been teaming with Drew McIntyre in a largely failed attempt at recapturing the goofy energy he had with Randy Orton as part of RKBro.

WWE signed Riddle in 2018 after an MMA career that saw him go 8-3 (2). Riddle's MMA career ended in large part due to his relationship with marijuana, as he tested positive for cannabis twice in his final three fights with UFC.

UFC and USADA adopted new rules in 2021 that essentially made marijuana use legal for fighters.

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Mandy Rose Says She Needs Right Situation to Return to Wrestling

Last December, Mandy Rose had a choice between continuing her WWE career and continuing to post racy content on her OnlyFans page and she chose the latter.

It does not appear she regrets that decision.

Rose recently told TMZ Sports her OnlyFans content has led to "life-changing" money for her family, and she would only return to professional wrestling if the right situation presented itself.

"I do miss performing. I miss the camaraderie. I miss that adrenaline rush, for sure. I can't say I don't miss it," Rose said (2:45 mark). "However, I am keeping myself super busy to not have to think about it as much. I don't know about the future. I am a free agent now. ... If the right call comes around and I feel like making an appearance and coming back to any wrestling federation out there, I'm not saying it's a no. But right now, I'm pretty busy. It's gotta be the right call."

Rose has not made an appearance for any wrestling organization since her WWE departure. She made $500,000 in the week following her WWE exit alone. It's unclear how much she has made in total, but it's almost certainly well into the millions of dollars.

Rose doesn't need professional wrestling at this point to achieve generational wealth. That said, it likely wouldn't hurt to keep her cache if she made appearances with promotions that are OK with her OnlyFans content.

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