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Last week, one of the more stranger pro wrestling events of 2019 took place, and CM Punk made his return to WWE...but not really. Punk returned to WWE TV for the first time in nearly six years, but he returned on the new WWE Backstage show which airs on Tuesday nights on FS1.
Punk made it clear on Twitter that although he has technically returned to WWE TV, he works for FOX, and not for WWE, meaning a rumored in-ring return is likely not in his immediate future.
In addition to clarifying his contract status, Punk also posted a very interesting comment on Twitter, explaining that "no one" will be safe from his comments on WWE Backstage, and went as far as to tag both Vince McMahon and AEW President Tony Khan in his Tweet.
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Given the above, let's take a look at 5 reasons why CM Punk tagged All Elite Wrestling's Tony Khan in his Tweet, ahead of Punk's big debut on WWE Backstage this week.
#5 To establish his pipebomb persona will be part of WWE Backstage
In addition to being recognized as a great in-ring talent, CM Punk is likely best known for the "pipebomb" promo he cut back in June of 2011. The shoot-style promo took aim at Vince McMahon and WWE executives, and even name dropped other promotions and stars such as Ring of Honor and Colt Cabana.
Following the famous promo, Punk's pipebomb persona was established, and his comment on Twitter ahead of tonight's WWE Backstage debut foreshadows that Punk's pipebomb person will very much be a part of his regular appearances on the show. On Twitter, Punk noted about the current state of pro wrestling, "There’s BAD too. I’m gonna talk about it, and no one is safe." Given Punk's comments, it's safe to say Punk will be addressing a wide range of taboo topics.
#4 To tease revealing why he did not sign with AEW
Since the announcement of the formation of All Elite Wrestling almost one year ago, rumors have been swirling that CM Punk might finally make his return to a pro wrestling ring for AEW, a company which seems to be tailor-made for the former WWE Champion.
But Punk himself admitted during an interview earlier this year that he was not a big fan of how AEW approached him with a contract offering, hinting that the offer was made via text.
Following his surprise appearance on WWE Backstage last week, it was reported that Punk did indeed meet with AEW President Tony Khan about a possible deal, but for whatever reason, a contract was not signed and instead Punk opted to take the FOX gig and appear on WWE Backstage.
With CM Punk publicly tagging Tony Khan on Twitter this week, the tagging could be an indication that Punk intends to explain why he opted not to sign with All Elite Wrestling, and why a possible in-ring return will not be taking place in AEW. Punk is also set to address why he will not be entering the Royal Rumble match in January, possibly teasing he will be announcing he is retired from in-ring competition.
#3 To let fans know there will no subjects off-limits when he appears on WWE Backstage
Heading into this week's return of CM Punk to WWE TV, one major questions loomed, and that is whether or not Punk will be a "watered down" version of himself on the show, or whether or not he will have free rein to speak on any subjects of his choosing.
Despite WWE Backstage being a FOX show, broadcast on FS1, the show remains a WWE program, and certainly WWE executives have control of the content discussed and offered on the show.
With Vince McMahon ultimately still in charge of a show that has the WWE name on it, fans speculated that CM Punk might not be allowed to express fully what he thinks of the current state of pro wrestling, and/or WWE itself.
But with Punk tagging Tony Khan on Twitter this week, in the same Tweet in which he tagged Vince McMahon, the Tweet could be an indication that CM Punk intends to speak out on any subject of his choosing, even if it's direct competition such as All Elite Wrestling. Punk's Tweet could be an indication that a WWE personality might finally address AEW on a WWE TV show.
#2 To continue the trend of brands taking shots at each other
CM Punk's Tweet this week might have caused controversy when he tagged Tony Khan, but what might not have been planned was the fallout from the Tweet, which included comments from WWE stars Randy Orton and Charlotte Flair, as well as comments from Tony Khan himself and AEW star Brandi Rhodes.
Khan fired the first shot, commenting on Punk's tweet by saying, "No one is safe? Sounds like a plane full of wrestlers in Saudi Arabia!"
Randy Orton then chimed in by bringing up an old article alleging that Tony Khan's father Shahid Khan was being investigated for corruption.
Khan then viciously fired back at Orton by Tweeting,
"I thought you only tagged me in your posts when you were grasping for leverage. That article’s over a year old + is about baseless claims made about my dad years ago. That’s the best you can do, nothing. Meanwhile in the time since that was written, you used the N word on twitch."
Given the above exchange, Punk tagging Tony Khan in his Twitter post might have been Punk's way of inviting further brand warfare, and continuing the trend of both WWE and AEW taking shots at each other, and who knows, the trend might continue on WWE Backstage.
#1 To solicit in-ring challenges from WWE Superstars
While CM Punk's Tweet might have ignited war of worlds between the personalities and stars of WWE and AEW, the Tweet also solicited an interesting response from WWE star Seth Rollins.
Rollins has been issuing public fight challenges to CM Punk in recent weeks, as Rollins Tweeted the following after Punk's surprise return to WWE TV on Backstage last week.
Following Punk's comment on Twitter this week, Seth Rollins once again took the opportunity to challenge Punk on Twitter, writing, "Don’t talk about me, fight me. I’ll catch ya right up."
Given the speculation surrounding CM Punk's possible in-ring return given his return to WWE TV on Backstage, it is possible that CM Punk tagging Tony Khan on Twitter was done partially to solicit challenges from various wrestlers, including stars from companies like AEW.
CM Punk has made it clear that he has signed with FOX and not WWE, so could that mean it would be possible for Punk to appear on a show like WWE Backstage but could also compete inside an AEW ring? Only time will tell.
Why do you think CM Punk tagged Tony Khan on Twitter? Let us know in the comment section and be sure to follow SK on Twitter and Facebook!
