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Hell hath officially frozen over, as former WWE Superstar CM Punk made a surprise return to the company this week...sort of. Punk made an appearance at the end of this week's edition of WWE Backstage, and it has since been announced that Punk will be appearing on the show next week, in addition to making regular appearances on the show going forward.
"Within minutes, the WWE on FOX Twitter account confirmed that Punk will make periodic appearances on WWE Backstage beginning next Tuesday," reads an official announcement from WWE.com.
"Punk left an unforgettable legacy during his WWE career, including holding the WWE Championship for a remarkable 434 days. Since parting ways with WWE, Punk has gone on to author comic books for Marvel, compete in UFC and, more recently, star in the horror film “Girl on the Third Floor,” released in theaters last month."
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Given Punk's shocking return to WWE TV, let's take a look at five things the master of the pipebomb could do on next week's WWE Backstage.
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#5 CM Punk could announce his return to the ring
Sure, it's a very long, long shot, but CM Punk could announce next week that he plans to return to the ring in WWE.
It's most likely that Punk's new deal to appear on WWE Backstage is with FOX and not WWE itself, making an imminent in-ring return unlikely, but the saying is "never say never" in WWE. Stranger things have happened in the company which would make a CM Punk in-ring return just another case of anything can happen in the business.
In a recent interview, Punk claimed it would take a "big bag of money" from WWE to get him back in the ring. So if the company has indeed provided that, it's not unrealistic that the Voice Of The Voiceless could be well on his way back to WWE in-ring competition.
#4 Punk could announce that he is officially retired from pro wrestling
While it's possible that CM Punk could announce next week on WWE Backstage that he plans to return to the ring in WWE, he could also announce that his in-ring career is in fact over and that he is retired from pro wrestling.
Punk has maintained in the past that he has no real desire to return to pro wrestling, and since his appearance on WWE Backstage will naturally lead to copious amounts of speculation that he intends to return to the ring, the Straight Edge Superstar might wish to squash that speculation by announcing he has no intention of ever wrestling again.
It might not be the best business decision for CM Punk to address his in-ring status either way, as intrigue will best grow if fans are unsure of the possibility of him ever showing up in a WWE ring again.
Punk looked to be in good shape when he made his surprise appearance on WWE Backstage this week, and while fans will naturally assume he is on his way to returning to the ring in WWE, his last run in the company might have convinced him that a job on a studio show such as Backstage is a much better fit for the former WWE Champion.
#3 Punk could announce he will be a permanent member of WWE Backstage
Following his surprise appearance on WWE Backstage today, the WWE on FOX Twitter account released the following statement regarding Punk's status on the show.
"Your chants have been answered! CM Punk just showed up on #WWEBackstage on @fs1 - he’ll be appearing periodically on the show beginning next Tuesday night at 11pm ET!"
It remains to be seen what "periodically" means, but the timing of CM Punk's return on the second episode of WWE Backstage is certainly interesting.
It was reported last week that the premiere episode of WWE Backstage on FS1 drew less than 50,000 viewers, and while unconfirmed, it's possible WWE made the call to bring CM Punk into the show in order to help boost the fledgling show's viewership.
If WWE and/or FOX had decided weeks ago that Punk would be part of Backstage, it's almost certain he would have been announced ahead of time for the series premiere, so Punk's hiring could have been a knee jerk reaction to low show ratings.
Should WWE and FOX really want to boost the Backstage ratings, it would make sense to promote CM Punk to a permanent role on the show to help maintain viewership.
#2 CM Punk could cut another pipebomb promo addressing why he left WWE
From now until next week, the pro wrestling world will be buzzing with anticipation, wondering what CM Punk will have to say when he makes his first full appearance on WWE Backstage.
One immediate question is whether or not CM Punk will address the elephant in the room, which is his status as an in-ring performer with WWE.
Since leaving WWE almost six years ago, CM Punk's relationship with the company has been tumultuous to say the least, with Punk successfully winning a lawsuit brought upon him by WWE doctor Chris Amann.
With Punk set to return to WWE TV next week, it will be interesting to see whether or not Punk addresses his last run in WWE, and why he made the decision to call it quits. It will also be interesting to see if CM Punk will address any of his post-WWE run dealings with the company, and what the future might hold for him on shows like RAW or SmackDown.
Punk noted during his surprise appearance on Backstage this week that "when they think they’ve got the answers, I change the culture,” so is it possible fans are in for another famous CM Punk pipebomb on the show next week?
#1 CM Punk could debut a new fourth wall breaking segment on the show
It's very clear that WWE is trying to present a curtain-free show with Backstage, offering fans a literal "backstage" perspective on the business.
Hosts of the show are openly commenting on angles and storylines they dislike, and are using "insider" terms such as "angle", "heel and face turn" and more.
With CM Punk set to make his first full appearance on WWE Backstage next week, it would make sense for Punk to debut some kind of fourth wall breaking segment commenting on the current happenings on WWE TV.
Punk could debut a weekly "pipebomb" type segment during which the former WWE Champion dishes on what he likes and dislikes about the current TV product, and pulls no punches as it pertains to criticizing the WWE creative process.
Punk breaking the fourth wall with a real, truthful weekly rant on the current state of WWE could bring the viewers the company and FOX hope to attract with WWE Backstage.
What do you think CM Punk should do on WWE Backstage next week? Let us know in the comment section and be sure to follow SK on Twitter and Facebook!
