CM Punk Says WWE Return Never Would’ve Happened If Vince McMahon Was Still in Charge

CM Punk is keeping it real about why he’s back in WWE—and he’s making it clear it wouldn’t have happened if Vince McMahon was still calling the shots.

After famously walking out of WWE in 2014 and swearing he’d “never” return, Punk shocked the wrestling world with his comeback at Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 in Chicago. But in a new interview on The Rich Eisen Show, the Second City Saint explained that the door only opened because of who was no longer holding the keys.

“I, obviously, famously said that I’m never coming back,” Punk said. “And then what does life do to you? Life humbles you. Life teaches you lessons. Life tells you, ‘You never say never.’”

Then he dropped the truth bomb. “I can confidently say that if it was the same place that it was, with the same people in charge, yeah, I don’t think either side would have reached out, and it never would have happened,” he said, taking a pointed jab at Vince McMahon without naming him directly.

The shift came when Triple H—now WWE’s Chief Content Officer—personally reached out to bury the decade-long grudge. Punk noted that without the TKO merger and Vince’s reduced influence, the return never would’ve gotten off the ground.

“Amidst a shakeup of the hierarchy of the company, right place, right time—timing is everything in life and sports—it came to fruition,” Punk continued. “Starts with an idea, starts with that little spark, that little match, and then it turns into a pretty big forest fire.”

By early 2024, Vince McMahon’s reputation took another hit after Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a lawsuit against him that included serious allegations of sexual misconduct and trafficking. With his influence all but gone, WWE has moved forward under new leadership—and Punk has found a second life in the company he once vowed to leave behind forever.

Was CM Punk right to call out Vince McMahon’s impact on WWE’s past? Do you think his return really could’ve happened under the old regime? Drop your take in the comments and let us know if you’re riding with Punk on this one.