FOX Reportedly Offered To Help WWE Pay For CM Punk Return

WWE television partner FOX were so keen for CM Punk to return to the promotion that they reportedly offered to help the company pay his wages.

With Punk ending a seven-year exile from professional wrestling with his move to All Elite Wrestling last month, many have speculated whether a return to WWE was a possibility for the Second City Saviour, after he walked out on the company in early 2014.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, FOX were particularly keen to see Punk make a return to WWE, having built a great relationship with the 42-year-old during his time working as an analyst on FOX Sport's WWE Backstage.

The Friday Night SmackDown network reportedly pushed WWE hard on making a move to bring Punk back, so much so that they offered to pay a share of any potential WWE contract Punk might sign when told by the promotion that any deal to bring back the WWE Champion would cost too much.

Once FOX made the offer, however, WWE informed their television partner that there were also other, non-financial reasons that they would not pursue a move to re-sign Punk.

Punk has since signed with AEW, wrestling his first official match for the promotion at All Out last weekend against Darby Allin.