Former WWE champion CM Punk had a terrible falling out with the WWE board, which led to him changing career paths to mixed martial arts. However, after losing in his debut via submission within the first three minutes against the up and coming Mickey Gall, CM Punk may make a sensational return to the sport he claims that he is done with.
During a WWE show in Punk's hometown of Chicago, the crowd marred chief branding officer Stephanie McMahon with chants of their hometown hero's name. McMahon was having none of it though and urged the crowd to keep chanting, saying it would not be too difficult for them to chant for a longer duration than Punk's UFC match.
A lot of fight fans criticized CM Punk and his decision to make his MMA debut in a promotion as big as the UFC, describing it as arrogant. Who could argue with them though? The best fighters have mostly made their way up from local MMA promotions, but Punk managed to be booked in a UFC pay-per-view with much less experience.
Still, this was a very good marketing move for the UFC. Despite bringing in decent viewership, UFC president Dana White is unsure whether the 38-year old Chicago native will fight in his promotion ever again.
"[CM Punk] and I have not figured that out yet, but we will. I don't know. I've got to talk to him and see how this thing works out for him," White said in an interview with TMZ. "UFC's a dangerous place. It really is. It's a tough place to come in for your first couple of fights," he added.
Punk could make a sensational return to the sport he claims he has already left behind, but there is only a slim chance of this happening. He could still get a couple of big pay days as a professional wrestler and maybe even get the WrestleMania moment he seems to always be missing out on, but other than that there is not much in it for him.
Wrestling fans should not get their hopes up, as Punk has played down rumors that he will make his return to professional wrestling at the next WrestleMania. After all, the tell-all podcast he did on Colt Cabana's "The Art of Wrestling" did not do him any favors with WWE big wigs. He is also in the middle of a drawn out lawsuit with WWE doctor Chris Amman, which is not expect to be concluded until May 2018 a the soonest, according to The Sun.
WWE tends to forgive and forget, so it is understandable that wrestling fans are getting their hopes up on this one. After all, if Hulk Hogan could jump ship to a rival professional wrestling promotion, then a fight or two in the UFC and a revealing interview can be forgiven.
Watch the fight between CM Punk and Mickey Gall below: