6 AEW Stars and why they refused to join WWE

#3. AEW Star CM Punk

CM Punk finally made his long-awaited return to professional wrestling when he joined AEW last month.

Punk is a legend in the wrestling business and one of the most accomplished WWE Superstars in history. He left WWE in 2014 before announcing his retirement from professional wrestling. Following his departure, he heavily criticized WWE and made it clear he was not interested in returning to the squared circle.

Despite not being interested, The Best in the World remained on Stephanie McMahon's list of former superstars she would like to bring back to WWE. Earlier this month, Punk revealed that WWE approached him before he signed with AEW. Nonetheless, he declined the offer.

In an interview with ESPN, the 42-year-old spoke about why he turned down WWE's offer.

"I remember one of the first things I ever said to them was, 'Above all, don’t play games', and they played games. Some things never change… When you enter a conversation with people you have a past with and you know who they are, how seriously can you take it? I know exactly who they are and they just continue to prove it. I’m trying to be as diplomatic as I possibly can," he said.

Punk made his AEW debut on the August 20 episode of Rampage. At the All Out pay-per-view, the 42-year-old defeated Darby Allin in his first AEW match.