5 Biggest things that prove CM Punk must return to WWE

Phil Brooks aka former WWE Champion CM Punk is widely regarded as one of the most polarizing personalities in the history of professional wrestling. The man reached the pinnacle of success in one of the world's biggest sports-entertainment organizations, and at the height of his career, chose to hang up the boots and walk away from the industry altogether.

Now, granted that Punk has often asserted that he does indeed intend to refrain from lacing up the wrestling boots again, however, an old adage in the professional wrestling business states something as follows: Never say never.

And with that theory in mind, as well as several notable examples which have time and again proven how much significance the aforementioned line of thought holds in this business, it's entirely plausible that we, the fans, may, in fact, get to witness CM Punk return to professional wrestling in the near future. After all, if legends such as Bret Hart and Bill Goldberg could make amends and return to the WWE ring, so can Punk.

One of the key reasons behind us focusing on this topic today, is due to blue brand Commissioner Shane McMahon being bombarded by "CM Punk" chants on the most recent episode of SmackDown Live -- not simply because of the chant, in and of itself, but rather the catalyst which made the crowd start said chant. The following discussion may get a tad heated, hence, reader's discretion is strongly advised!

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#5 "Best In The World" isn't just a catchphrase

CM Punk is the "Best In The World"

Harking back to the point noted above, Shane McMahon took to the ring on SmackDown Live in order to hype the WWE World Cup tournament which takes place at Crown Jewel on November 2nd.

McMahon explained that the tournament will determine who among the top WWE Superstars is the "Best In The World", and with "Best In The World" being one of CM Punk's most notable catchphrases during his time as a WWE Superstar, the crowd raucously began chanting Punk's name.

Now, while they were expertly shut down by Shane O'Mac, who jested that Punk isn't in the tournament bracket -- that too without directly mentioning Punk's name -- the fact remains that the vast majority of fans and experts still believe Punk to be the best in the world in the art of pro-wrestling.

Truth be told, I've always been more of an nWo and Kevin Nash-Scott Hall fan, however, Punk is a legend in his own right. The younger generation of fans seem to adore Punk, and the WWE always does what's best for business - giving the fans what they want...

#4 UFC Purgatory

CM Punk will not fight in the UFC in the future

Following his unceremonious exit from the WWE and his announcement that he's retiring from professional wrestling altogether, CM Punk commenced training full-time at one of the most widely-respected MMA gyms in the world, Roufusport.

In a gym that is home to the likes of former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis and reigning UFC Welterweight titlist Tyron "The Chosen One" Woodley, Punk found himself in one of the best places to help prepare him for his Mixed Martial Arts debut.

Regardless, Punk first fell by way of submission to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 back in September of 2016 and then dropped a Unanimous Decision to Mike Jackson at UFC 225 in June of this year -- making him 0-2 in the sport of MMA, having lost both of his fights in the UFC organization.

However, what we intend to highlight right here, is the fact that with UFC President Dana White having publicly confirmed that Punk won't ever fight again in the UFC, as well as Punk himself insinuating that his next MMA fight shall take place in a smaller organization. It has indeed been solidified that Phil Brooks is now in UFC Purgatory!

Punk isn't likely to fight in the world's biggest MMA promotion, the UFC, ever again, and with other companies logically paying him way less than the UFC; the man would be losing huge sums of money in his year-long training camps, only to probably get beaten up by a halfway-decent trained MMA professional.

Granted that Punk has saved up a decent amount of money from his WWE days, however, as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin often says, those bills never stop coming. Returning to the WWE is the very best option for Punk, especially since the WWE has previously extended the olive branch to him and invited him back to its roster...

#3 Vince McMahon - The Godfather

The fictional character, The Godfather, has a lot of good business tendencies he shares with real-life WWE boss Vince McMahon

Alright, this may sound a tad preachy...I\in fact, it is indeed pretty preachy. Nevertheless, please bear with me.

Irrespective of whether you've cheered for the man as a pioneer of modern-day sports-entertainment, or booed the villainous Mr. McMahon character at the myriad of WWE events or on your television sets; the numbers don't lie, and it's those very numbers which prove that Vincent Kennedy McMahon is a success.

The man has been hailed by several notable business personalities from all over the world -- including UFC megastar Conor McGregor who refers to McMahon as a "Real Don" -- as the Godfather of the entertainment industry.

One can most definitely see the similarities between Vince McMahon's real-life business persona and the lead character from the classic movie The Godfather, with McMahon being God-gifted in the realm of business and decision-making. The man knows how to put aside his personal differences and get the job done -- to entertain the fans -- without letting said personal differences with any man or woman get in the way of business.

Following CM Punk's departure from the WWE, McMahon has publicly stated that he'd be open to having Punk return to the company anytime, and the latter returning to the company would not only mean good business for the WWE, but also an even greater deal for Punk...

#2 Wrestling style

CM Punk (left) and Daniel Bryan (right) wrestled in a much riskier style on the indies

As I'd noted in the beginning of our discussion, this one is bound to get a tad heated! So here goes...CM Punk first rose to prominence on the indie professional wrestling circuit, and then slowly worked his way up the WWE food chain. Now, Punk may not have worked all of his indie career in a life and death "Strong Style" wrestling method such as someone like Shinsuke Nakamura did in NJPW.

However, Punk did push the envelope with the in-ring maneuvers he executed during his run in the indies. Compare his indie stint to his run in the WWE, and one of the most notable differences in his repertoire is that he worked a much safer style in WWE than what he used to in the independent circuit.

The WWE, unlike the umpteen number of indie wrestling promotions, is a global brand, and has a high standard of safety during in-ring performances. Speaking of which, CM Punk, at this stage of his career and life, after having suffered several injuries as well as concussions, would be better suited returning to the WWE rather than wrestling Strong Style high-risk matches in indie promotions as well as companies such as NJPW...

#1 Loyalty to the fans

The fans still love CM Punk, as does he

Once again, I'd like to hark back to the fact that certain sections of fans may strongly disagree with what's being discussed here. Either way, the fact remains that CM Punk returning to the WWE for one last run would be an act of great respect on part of Punk towards the fans.

Let one thing be crystal clear that Punk never spoke against the fans during his time away from pro-wrestling. He has, in fact, always expressed his gratitude towards them for showering him with a ton of love and support even after he bid adieu to the sport.

CM Punk doesn't owe us anything!

Nevertheless, with his UFC career in the rear-view, and MMA future uncertain, Punk still has a lot to earn by returning to the WWE. Let's face it, the man is still as popular as ever with the WWE Universe.

Despite the couple of one-sided losses he suffered inside the UFC's famed Octagon, professional wrestling is a world of such beauty and suspension of disbelief that he could still be built up as the cunning Messiah he once was during his heyday as WWE Champion.

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Which WWE brand would you like to see CM Punk return to? Sound off in the comments!