Making Sense of the CM Punk Rumors and Potential WWE Exit

CM Punk rumors are all the rage right now. They're all the rage, all the time, really. 

Let's run down the list.

• CM Punk is leaving WWE. 
• CM Punk could go back to AEW. 
• CM Punk got asked to take a pay cut. 
• CM Punk has no creative. 
• CM Punk tried to "politick" something.
• CM Punk is just CM Punk'ing and has backstage heat. 

Oh, and don't forget the most likely scenario of this whole thing: 

• CM Punk is an old man and he's tired. 

Exhausting, really. 

Punk hasn't been around since WrestleMania 42 and to fill the void and keep things interesting during a quiet part of the pro wrestling calendar, silly rumors have started to make the rounds. 

No joke, as Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats pointed out, a random account on Twitter started going viral for "unsubstantiated" claims about Punk. 

Various "dirtsheets" started platforming these as a result. Fightful Select (h/t Rajah's Jeff Whalen), for example, reported that there is no heat on Punk within WWE. 

Of course, the same report managed to pepper in the commentary that some in AEW believe the "burned bridge" could be repaired, if needed. 

Keep in mind that this all started via a Twitter account named "JCup2013" to really get the ball rolling. 

Look, background info is important. This isn't the typical reporting and baseless speculation about wrestlers that always happens. Punk isn't a typical wrestler, to say the least. His history of leaving WWE, hiatus, AEW return, torching the bridges there and eventual WWE return speaks for itself. Tack on the lawsuits and all that other fun stuff. 

But consider this: Remove the name. A 47-year-old wrestler went for roughly three years non-stop. Loop in a serious injury. He carried the biggest promotion on the planet on his back while the other main event scene farted around with Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee and outside meddling. His arc capped off with a WrestleMania main event before he got a break. 

Adding Punk's name to that vague wrestler makes things a little more dramatic, but not overly so. There's absolutely nothing shocking about him getting some time off before a return that sets up a SummerSlam feud. From there, he works through the next year's 'Mania and whatever feud it presents. 

Not a bad deal. It's already pretty well understood that Punk's age is a factor and that he's not going to wrestle forever. Part-timing once or twice per year like a Brock Lesnar doesn't seem to be his thing. It's also understood that he wants to do something like working with NXT and/or the Performance Center as a trainer post-in-ring retirement. 

Why, then, the internet is letting random Twitter accounts and baseless down-period reporting rile users up is hard to say. 

Here's the fun part, at least: It's good for WWE. And Punk. 

Punk is pretty unique in the way he can draw up interest like this in a meta way. Had this stuff not blown up, his eventual return, if not advertised by WWE, would've had a big pop but otherwise been a surprise that didn't move the needle. 

Now? It's going to jam the needle in WWE's favor. There's going to be palpable hype around his return, as maybe even non-WWE watchers from the AEW side and otherwise keep an ear out for what he says the next time he gets a microphone in his hand. 

We'll see what creative actually looks like for Punk when he comes back. Maybe he gets into the Cody Rhodes stuff. Or chases Roman Reigns and family. Or gets bulldozed by Oba Femi. Who knows? That's part of the fun of hoping he doesn't retire anytime soon: There's just too many must-see matches and feuds left on his docket. 

At this point, one can almost expect Punk and WWE to loop this into a storyline somehow. It would be a pretty big missed opportunity to ignore this noise and not attempt to play into it. Not to be the "maybe he should heel turn" guy, but now might be a good time for a shocking corporate heel Punk thing.

Regardless, this silliness is likely a good thing in the long-term. The most logical thing is Punk taking a pretty standard break. Pro wrestling isn't always logical, nor have there been many situations like Punk's list of dramas in the past.

But this? It's pretty clearly Punk taking a break, and probably smiling about the ammunition his absence has provided for promo and character fuel, too.