WWE official weighs in on whether CM Punk's reputation has been "damaged" after a controversial AEW stint

A current WWE official recently discussed whether CM Punk had damaged his reputation after a controversial run in AEW. The name in question is Road Dogg (aka Brian James).

CM Punk is arguably one of the most polarizing figures in the pro wrestling business. The former world champion's recent run in AEW ended abruptly after he was fired in September due to his alleged backstage altercation with Jack Perry. All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan seemingly felt the scuffle endangered his safety.

Many believe Punk's controversial AEW exit hurt his reputation in the business. However, Road Dogg doesn't echo the same sentiment. On his Oh, You Didn't Know? podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer mentioned that very few people knew what transpired backstage in the Tony Khan-led promotion, and it was hard to blame Punk for the unfortunate incident.

"Is his reputation damaged? That's the question I would ask. His reputation in what? Wrestling? Come on, man! There's so much more than wrestling. Does he have a reputation that he needs to protect? I don't know. From everything we heard [about his time in AEW], he did come off as the negative actioneer. But was he? Because we don't really know what happened. We didn't see and hear everything — it's just [that] everybody guesses and speculates." [H/T WrestlingINC]

---

Road Dogg thinks CM Punk returning to WWE is a possibility

WWE Senior Vice President of Live Events Road Dogg also shared his thoughts on whether fans could still expect CM Punk to return to the promotion after a decade.

On a previous episode of the Oh, You Didn't Know? podcast, Road Dogg said that WWE could be willing to give second chances to performers if it made sense business-wise. He added that Punk was a 'needle mover' and could be rehired by the sports entertainment juggernaut at some point.

"Never say never with these guys. They will give you a second chance. [WWE] will give you an opportunity if it's business savvy, and bringing him back might be. The reason it might be is because he's a needle mover." [H/T Wrestling Inc]

The Best in the World is rumored to make his grand return to WWE at Survivor Series in Chicago next month. Only time will tell whether it turns out to be the case.