Report: WWE Management "Hate" AEW's CM Punk

While CM Punk's WWE run featured several world title reigns, both parties grew embittered towards each other at the end of The Second City Saviour's stint with the company and they parted ways acrimoniously, with WWE releasing Punk on his wedding day. 

Seven years later, WWE still harbour ill feelings towards the now-AEW star, according to a new report. 

Writing about the likelihood of released WWE talents appearing in the WWE 2K22 video game, Brian Mazique of Forbes noted Punk will likely never be in a WWE video game and that company management "hate him", according to a source. Such is the hatred, Mazique reported a special Tony Khan edition of a WWE 2K title is more likely than Punk ever being in another WWE video game. 

This is similar to reports prior to Punk's return to professional wrestling in August 2021 which noted WWE management have "unhappy memories" of working with the former world champion. 

Despite their hatred of Punk, though, WWE still tried to re-sign The Straight Edge Superstar in December 2020 and the company reached out to him through intermediaries. 

The then 42-year-old did listen to WWE's offer but talks quickly broke down, with Punk noting: "I remember one of the first things I ever said to them was, 'Above all, don't play games.' And they played games."