WWE Rumors: CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin 'Dream Match' Pushed After Return

Following the return of CM Punk at Survivor Series, some in WWE reportedly believe there is a good chance of making one of the biggest dream matches in pro wrestling a reality.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), multiple people are pushing for an eventual match between Punk and WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and they are "optimistic" the bout could come to fruition.

Fightful added that Punk and WWE have reportedly discussed several ideas, and a match with Austin is among them.

After being retired from in-ring competition for 19 years, Austin returned to action last year at WrestleMania 38, beating Kevin Owens in a street fight in the main event of Night 1.

The now-58-year-old Austin looked to be in great shape at WrestleMania 38, did far more than anyone could have expected and sent the fans home happy.

Austin has not been seen on WWE programming since then, and there is no public indication regarding whether he wants to have another match, but a clash with a star the caliber of Punk could conceivably be of interest.

Since Punk and Austin have characters that compare and contrast so favorably, fans have long viewed them as ideal in-ring dance partners.

During Punk's first run in WWE, the conflict between them was teased on a couple of occasions in a backstage segment and as part of a promotion for the WWE '13 video game:

No match came out of those interactions, and when Punk left WWE on bad terms in 2014, it seemed as though it would be one of the biggest "what ifs" in wrestling history.

It is far from a guarantee that Punk vs. Austin will happen this time around since Austin could opt to stay retired, but people close to Austin believe he and Punk are on good terms and even exchange texts occasionally.

Punk vs. Austin and Roman Reigns vs. The Rock are likely the two biggest matches WWE has any chance of pulling off, and now that Punk is back in WWE, there is perhaps a better chance than ever of him going to battle with The Texas Rattlesnake.

---

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below.