CM Punk made his highly anticipated return to WWE in November 2023, marking the end of his nearly decade-long hiatus from the company. In an exclusive interview, WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart shared his insights on The Best in the World’s comeback.
Punk’s departure from WWE in January 2014 stemmed from creative frustrations and persistent injuries. He ventured into mixed martial arts with UFC and also grappled in AEW before surprising the wrestling world with his reemergence at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023.
Hart, an iconic former WWE personality, discussed Punk’s decision to rejoin the company with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter:
“CM Punk, him coming back, he came in. It fit in perfect. There was a void there. He came right in, took up. It’s all in the numbers. If you bring somebody in, no matter what’s happened in the past, you’ve gotta forgive people sometimes, and they learn more too.”
Hart speculated that Punk may have experienced regret during his prolonged absence from WWE:
“I’m sure Punk left and probably went, ‘Oh my God, what did I do? I left the biggest company in the world. Oh my gosh. I was making millions off merchandise. I tried UFC,’ which my hat’s off for him for trying that, other companies, and everything else. But the point of it is [Punk thinking], ‘I’m back to where I should have been back. I should have never left in the first place. Look, I’ve got action figures. I’ve got t-shirts. I’ve got memorabilia.'”
Hart emphasized that Punk’s return signifies a maturation process:
“You grow up sometimes,” Hart continued. “You grow up, and when you grow up and you sit back and look, you look at your financial statement, you look at the way they presented you on that stage. I mean, look, he’s back now in front of 48,000 people… 48,000 people! I mean, come on, please. But he’s a good kid. I liked CM Punk. I’ve always liked CM Punk. Unfortunately, he got injured, but now they’ve got so many people who can step in and take his spot.”
Punk’s momentum faced a setback after undergoing triceps surgery following the Royal Rumble, forcing him out of action for several months. Prior to his injury, he was anticipated to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WrestleMania XL on April 6-7.
