CM Punk Talks Possible WWE Return, Shaq to Appear on AEW, Jaxson Ryker Latest

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

Punk Talks Potential Return to Wrestling

It has been nearly seven years since CM Punk last wrestled a match, but he remains open to an in-ring return under the right circumstances.

Appearing this week on former WWE talent Renee Young's Oral Sessions podcast (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Punk discussed what it would take to pull him out of retirement:

"Without wanting to insult anybody on either side of the fence, any WWE talent or AEW talent, it would take above all an interesting scenario. A story that would be fun to tell. Also, just the stupidest amount of money. But they could save themselves a whole lot of money if they just presented ... a fun storyline. Now, what that is, I don't know. I'm a pretty picky guy, especially at this point."

During his time in WWE from 2006-14, Punk was one of the best all-around talents in wrestling, and he was a five-time world champion to boot.

His WWE tenure didn't end on ideal terms, though, as he left after the 2014 Royal Rumble before airing his grievances later in the year on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast.

Punk had essentially nothing to do with wrestling for years until late last year when he signed on as a part-time host on FS1's WWE Backstage. In that role, Punk discussed the latest happenings in WWE and gave his opinions on the product.

WWE Backstage went by the wayside during the pandemic, however, which has left Punk outside the wrestling spotlight once again.

Even at 42 years of age and with the vast majority of his wrestling career behind him, Punk would move the needle in a big way for any wrestling company, whether it's WWE, AEW or another promotion.

Punk has been asked often about returning to wrestling in recent years, and while he has never ruled it out, he hasn't seemed to be champing at the bit to get back either.

Both WWE and AEW have no shortage of talent or money, so they should have the means necessary to sign Punk if they truly want to, but it remains to be seen if either company is willing to give him what he desires.

Shaq to Appear on This Week's AEW Dynamite

AEW announced Monday night that Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal will appear on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite:

The announcement comes a few weeks after Shaq's name was mentioned on Dynamite by the debuting Jade Cargill, who confronted Cody Rhodes and told him he could never slay a giant like Shaq.

In addition to being one of the best and most charismatic basketball players of all time, O'Neal is a longtime professional wrestling fan, and he has dabbled in it to some degree over the years.

Shaq made appearances for WWE and even competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. There was often talk of a match between O'Neal and Big Show as well, although it never came to fruition.

Given the fact that Shaq and AEW both have a visible presence on TNT, it makes sense that a crossover is happening, especially during a time when AEW is trying to compete with WWE.

Last week, AEW put on a newsworthy episode of Dynamite that featured the debut of Sting and Kenny Omega beating Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship in the main event.

Shaq is a huge name in the world of sports and entertainment, so it stands to reason that AEW could attract some new fans by getting him on the show and perhaps building toward a match.

Jaxson Ryker Returns to WWE Programming

After months of being absent from WWE programming, Jaxson Ryker appeared on this week's episode of Main Event as Elias's bodyguard.

According to Fightful (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), "a lot of people" were surprised to see Ryker back in the fold.

Ryker made his main roster debut in April as one-third of The Forgotten Sons along with Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler. They enjoyed quick success and even beat New Day, but they were quickly taken off TV on SmackDown.

Their disappearance coincided with Ryker posting a pro-Donald Trump tweet in the midst of civil unrest in the United States in June. Additionally, a Facebook post from 2019 in which he was critical of the Black Lives Matter movement surfaced.

None of the Forgotten Sons members were seen for months until Blake and Cutler showed up on Friday's episode of SmackDown as henchmen for King Corbin.

Just a few days later, Ryker made his return as well, and he will be given an opportunity to see if he can stick in his new role.

Ryker is an accomplished wrestler who held the Television and Tag Team Championships in TNA, and he is an imposing figure as well, which makes him perfect for a bodyguard role.

Elias is a talented Superstar who seems to take everything he is given and makes it work, so perhaps Ryker will be the latest example of that.

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