MJF Praises CM Punk; Becky Lynch Talks Retirement; WWE Rumors on Charlotte's Contract

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

MJF Talks CM Punk's WWE Return

CM Punk's relationship with AEW ended on a sour note, but that doesn't mean some of the wrestlers in the promotion are holding a grudge against him.

Appearing on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), AEW world champion MJF praised Punk when asked about the outspoken superstar's return to WWE:

"One of the greatest feuds…I'll just say this, the greatest feud of the modern era was me versus CM Punk, I think, and that happened on AEW television.

"No, I was happy for him. Listen, if he's happy, I'm happy. I think he's a hell of a talent, and at the end of the day, it's a business. For some reason with wrestling, it's looked at differently than any other sport. I see guys get traded to different teams all the time. That's just life. So he did what he felt was best for him, and the company did what they felt was best for the company. So I just hope he's happy. I wish him the best of luck."

During MJF's ascent to main-event status in AEW, one of his most memorable matches was a dog-collar bout against Punk at Revolution in March 2022. CM Punk got the win, but MJF was elevated to another level after the bloody affair was over.

MJF was being set up to challenge Punk for the AEW world title after All Out that same year, but the post-show backstage brawl involving Punk, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, as well as an injury to Punk, altered those plans.

It's not impossible to imagine a scenario when MJF and CM Punk cross paths again. The Devil said in the same interview his AEW contract expires on Jan. 1. If that's the case, given how much his profile has increased over the past year, WWE could make a serious bid at taking him away from AEW.

Becky Lynch Wants to Retire in WWE

Amid all of the online speculation about which superstars might jump ship between WWE and AEW, Becky Lynch doesn't sound like she's angling to go anywhere.

Appearing on the Strutting from Gorilla YouTube show (starts at 9:50 mark), Lynch called WWE the place "where I was born as a professional wrestler in many ways in terms of my influence" and it's "it's where I'll retire."

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported earlier this year that Lynch's current deal is set to expire in June 2024. There's nothing to indicate she won't re-sign with WWE.

Lynch is arguably the most important women's wrestler in WWE history. Certainly, the arrival of the four horsewomen of NXT (Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Sasha Banks) changed the trajectory of women's wrestlers within the company.

The Man won the first women's main-event match in WrestleMania history when she pinned Ronda Rousey to become the Raw and SmackDown women's champion. She's still arguably the top female star in the entire promotion.

Charlotte Flair Signs New WWE Contract

Speaking of Flair, the 14-time WWE women's champion has reportedly signed a lucrative new deal with the promotion.

Sapp noted Flair is believed to have signed "one of the biggest contract extensions" for a female performer in WWE history.

WWE's recent sale to TKO hasn't slowed down contract talks with several top superstars. It was reported this week that Rey and Dominik Mysterio have signed extensions.

Sapp reported on Monday that WWE would start going back to the negotiating table with "multiple superstars" after the start of the new year.

There's a little bit of a bittersweet feeling for Flair getting an extension. It's great for her and, based on what sounds like a pay increase for her, an indication WWE views her as an essential part of the future.

But news of the deal comes as The Queen is set to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus suffered during her match with Asuka on the Dec. 8 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

WWE announced Flair is expected to miss nine months, which will keep her out of the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It's possible she could return for SummerSlam.

But when Flair returns, expect her to be right back in the main-event scene. And with a new contract in hand, look for her to stay there for many years to come.

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