CM Punk's greatest AEW rival comments on his return to WWE

CM Punk's time in AEW will unfortunately be remembered by many for its controversies, but the first half of his run included some highly acclaimed matches, promos, and storylines. Chief among these was his extended feud with current AEW World Champion MJF, who recently opened up about Punk's return to WWE.

CM Punk and MJF went to war in late 2021. The two, considered among the best talkers in the business, demolished each other in memorable promo battles before finally clashing in February 2022. The Salt of the Earth pulled off a shocking upset in Punk's hometown of Chicago, but The Second City Saint had the last laugh, emerging victorious in a bloody dog collar match at Revolution in March.

The two have traded veiled barbs ever since, and many expected them to engage in another feud over the AEW World Championship in late 2022. Unfortunately, Punk was suspended after All Out and went on a lengthy hiatus due to injury. By the time he returned, MJF was the champion, and Punk was fired before the two could face off again.

Speaking on the most recent edition of SI Media with Jimmy Traina, Maxwell complimented his former rival, noting that CM Punk did what was best for himself while AEW did what was best for the company:

"I was happy for him," MJF said. "Listen, if he's happy, I'm happy. I think he's a hell of a talent. At the end of the day, it's a business. For some reason, with wrestling, it's looked at differently than any other sport...I see guys get traded to different teams all the time. That's just life. So he did what he felt was best for him, and the company did what they felt was best for the company. I just hope he's happy. I wish him the best of luck." [h/t Wrestling Inc]

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MJF denies having re-signed with AEW, namedrops Cody Rhodes and CM Punk

Throughout his meteoric rise in AEW, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has often referenced "The Bidding War of 2024," in which he expects Tony Khan and WWE to engage in a monetary battle for his services.

Many have assumed that The Salt of the Earth has already signed a contract extension with AEW due to his historic World Championship reign and the fact that he's been so complimentary toward the company over the last few months.

In the same interview with SI Media, MJF denied the rumors, mentioning that similar speculation over Cody Rhodes and CM Punk turned out to be false:

"I never lied. January 1st, 2024. When stuff like that gets leaked out, it makes me laugh because I remember something leaked out about Cody [Rhodes] having secretly re-signed and then he showed up [in WWE]. Something got leaked out about, you know, CM Punk and Tony Khan or you know… I think fans leak out things that they want to be true. I love AEW, I wanna stay in AEW. After this pay-per-view [Worlds End], it’s time to assess the situation for a professional setting. So… not yet [I haven’t re-signed]," said Friedman.

MJF is scheduled to defend his title against Samoa Joe at the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30. If he loses the title just two days before his contract supposedly expires, the speculation surrounding his future is certain to explode.

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Do you think MJF was CM Punk's greatest opponent in AEW? Should they have feuded over the World Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!