Report: AEW In Talks With CM Punk Over Contract Buyout

Just over a year on from one of the biggest returns in pro wrestling history, CM Punk's run in AEW is seemingly over. 

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, All Elite Wrestling and Punk are in talks about a contract buyout and his future with the promotion is in doubt. The hold-up in Punk's release is over a non-compete period and Meltzer noted any talks over a non-compete would be because of potential WWE interest. 

Vince McMahon was notably against bringing CM Punk back to WWE when he began to appear on WWE Backstage in 2019, although the two parties did briefly hold talks about a return before Punk debuted in AEW. McMahon has since exited WWE but Punk also had frosty relations with Triple H during his WWE run. 

No one from WWE has reportedly made contact with Punk but the two-time AEW World Champion is close with Adam Pearce and he was extremely close to Paul Heyman in the past. 

While he is one of the promotion's biggest stars, Punk's time in AEW unravelled beginning with a promo from Hangman Page before Double Or Nothing that Punk believed alluded to his real-life issues with Colt Cabana and the rumour that he was involved in AEW's initial decision to not renew Boom Boom's contract. Upon his return to AEW TV in August, Punk went off-script and called out Hangman for an AEW World Title match and relations backstage in the promotion only worsened from there. 

The breaking point came at All Out when Punk, only minutes after regaining the AEW World Championship, took shots at Hangman, Colt Cabana, and The Elite during his media scrum. This prompted Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks to confront him backstage and a scuffle broke out also involving Ace Steel, who bit Kenny Omega and threw a chair that rocked Nick Jackson. All five men were suspended following the incident while a third party investigates what happened. Ace Steel has since been released, reportedly to his surprise, while Punk and The Elite remain suspended.