CM Punk was driven through the announce table and out of the match by Kane at the 2014 Royal Rumble. Then, when frustrations had finally reached a boiling point, Punk would, much to the astonishment of many admirers, walk out of the firm. For the next two years, Punk vented his frustrations on various forums, giving the impression that he was done with WWE and with wrestling in general.
During his interview at UFC 298 Punk was questioned about why he felt the need to get back into the ring and about the itch he had to scratch his professional wrestling career. Punk acknowledged that he had a horrible work/life balance and was burned out from traveling all the time while talking about his earlier exit:
“Earlier tonight, I responded to this query. It’s probably about time. It’s all about timing. I wrestled for a very long period before getting a WWE deal, you know. And for ten years I was traveling. Not a single vacation day. That has an expense. Attempting to strike a balance was perhaps one of the things I had never done before. Balance is kind of important, and I believe that many wrestlers and fighters do that. When you’re young, though, you can’t say no to opportunities that present themselves and you can’t help but want to go. And then you eventually burn out.
In 2021, Punk would make a comeback to professional wrestling, making his AEW debut in his native Chicago to rousing applause. Even though the relationship had a great beginning, rumors of arguments and backstage turmoil would eventually surface—most notoriously during All Out 2022 and All In 2023. After CM Punk and Jack Perry got into a physical altercation at Wembley Stadium in September 2023, CM Punk was dismissed by AEW.
A few years ago, it seemed unthinkable, but Punk surprised everyone once more by performing live in front of an audience at Survivor Series 2023 in Chicago. In the course of the interview, Punk talked about how his perspective evolved while he was away and what eventually caused him to get the WWE itch once more:
I burned out ten years ago, moved on, and pursued other endeavors. I also got to do a bunch of other awesome things. Everything heals with time. You begin to gradually realize that, well, most of what happened ten years ago is irrelevant. Different individuals come and go, and new individuals hold leadership positions.
It’s nice to be back, I’m very glad it occurred, and the way I came back and how large it has been could never have been what it was without all the other junk, right? Maybe I can go back and, you know, it fits like an old shoe. That is how life is as of right now when I wake up. So, today is going well.
