After a brief stint with the UFC, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling in 2021.
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When did CM Punk return to wrestling?
After his 2014 WWE exit, CM Punk tried to build a career in mixed martial arts and signed with the UFC in December 2014.
But he lost both his fights – although the latter was recently declared a no-contest – and resurfaced in the wrestling world in November 2019 as part of Fox Sports’ punditry team for WWE Backstage.
In 2021, Punk debuted with All Elite Wrestling, marking his return to pro wrestling after seven years away from the industry.
After winning the AEW World Championship for the second time, Punk went on an expletive-filled rant during a post-event media scrum.
During the rant, he accused wrestlers Kenny Omega and the tag team The Young Bucks of spreading rumors and leaking them to wrestling media.
Omega and The Young Bucks later approached Punk about his comments backstage, leading to a legitimate altercation.
All parties involved were reportedly suspended and Punk’s AEW World Championship was vacated that week.
After a nine-month absence, Punk returned to AEW on the June 17, 2023, premiere of Collision.
In August, at AEW’s All In pay-per-view in London, he successfully wrestled against Samoa Joe in what would be his last match with the promotion.
After the event, Punk was reportedly involved in another altercation, this time with wrestler Jack Perry.
AEW announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Punk had been terminated from his AEW contract on September 2.
The statement also revealed that the decision was made after the unanimous recommendation of both the AEW discipline committee and an outside legal counsel.
AEW president and CEO Tony Khan announced that “the incident was regrettable and it endangered people backstage” before that night’s episode of Collision.
Khan also alleged that Punk “lunged” at him backstage, leaving him feeling like “my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show.”
Months later, the Chicago native made his long-awaited return to the WWE in his hometown at the end of the Survivor Series premium live event on November 25, 2023.
He is currently set to take part in the 2024 Royal Rumble match on January 27, 2024.
Why did CM Punk leave WWE in 2014?
CM Punk’s last wrestling match with WWE was at the Royal Rumble in 2014. There, he was eliminated from the match by Kane.
During the match, Punk suffered a concussion after Kofi Kingston hit him with a clothesline.
Following the Royal Rumble, Punk didn’t appear on the following episodes of RAW or SmackDown.
WWE stopped advertising him, and while Vince McMahon told investors that Punk was taking a hiatus from the company, in reality, he had legitimately walked out of the company.
On a 2014 episode of Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast, Punk finally broke his silence regarding his exit from WWE.
He alleged that he had been suspended for two months after leaving in January and that nobody from WWE contacted him after the suspension ended.
Punk also said he received his termination papers and was fired by WWE on his wedding day on June 13, 2014.
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Who is CM Punk’s wife, AJ Mendez?
AJ Mendez, also known as AJ Lee, is a retired pro wrestler. She won the now-defunct Diva’s Championship two times.
In January 2014, she became the longest reigning Diva’s champion at that time, at 295 days.
On April 4, 2017, AJ Lee released a memoir entitled Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules.
She also co-wrote the comic book series GLOW vs. The Babyface with actress Aimee Garcia in 2019.
AJ has helped write on several projects, including the 2022 Netflix film Blade of the 47 Ronin and a story in the first issue of DC Comics Wonder Woman: Black and Gold.