In the closing moments to tonights episode of WWE Backstage, a familiar riff hit. It was the opening to Living Colors Cult Of Personality. The theme song of former WWE Champion CM Punk.
His Return To WWE, What Does This Mean?
It has been long rumored that CM Punk would be a part of WWE Backstage, as CM Punk has loosened his stance on returning to the company in recent comments. It felt like another set of false hope, but as shown by tonights appearence on the discussion based show on Fox, this time it was very real.
In the final 30 seconds of the show, his music hit and he entered the ring like set to see other former ROH Champions in Samoa Joe & Adam Cole.
It was then officially announced by the WWE on Fox Twitter Page that he would be appearing on future episodes of the show, starting with next Tuesdays edition.
His role will be purely that of an analyst on this show, Punk has made it fairly clear that he doesn’t intend to return to in-ring competition over the past few years. But is anything ever truly sure in professional wrestling?
The Chance Of A Full Return To WWE Programming
It should be noted that WWE Backstage is a show run by Fox in coordination with WWE. Punk being part of this show makes him an employee of Fox, not WWE. This does absolutely open the floodgates of Punk having a bigger return to WWE programming down the line.
Before his departure from the company in 2014, Punk was one of the biggest stars in the company. CM Punk chants still echo through WWE shows quite frequently, there will always be demand for a proper return from the Straight Edge superstar.
The Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a common place for one off returns, and with Punk not wrestling in over 4 years, he certainly has ring rust. A Rumble return would be a perfect way to test the waters and see if Punk would be open to more wrestling down the line for the company that made him into a worldwide sensation. This would also take us full circle, as the final match Punk had wrestled was the 2014 Royal Rumble.
Regardless of what role CM Punk will play going forward, it feels so good to finally see him involved with professional wrestling once again.