How many times has CM Punk controversially departed from wrestling promotions? Know the reasons why 

CM Punk made headlines once again this weekend. Exactly a year ago, the former WWE Champion and The Elite were involved in a backstage brawl, which was the talk of the town for a while. All members were brought back months later. The Voice of the Voiceless officially returned in June when the promotion debuted their new weekly show Collision.

However, it seems like trouble has been a friend for CM Punk as it seems to follow him wherever he goes. Below is a list of the three times Punk has controversially left and been fired from wrestling promotions:

#3. IMPACT Wrestling

In 2003, CM Punk was indirectly associated with IMPACT Wrestling (then known as TNA) while being signed to Ring of Honor. He was initially paired with Raven to form The Gathering.

Punk often competed on IMPACT Wrestling, but his matches did not garner much widespread acclaim. A year later, in February, Punk was involved in an altercation with Teddy Hart outside a restaurant. Wrestling legend Sabu managed to intervene and break up the fight. The situation arose due to Hart allegedly using a few unplanned moves in the ring, which could have caused Punk and other stars to severe injury.

Following the incident, the 44-year-old was never seen on TNA television again. There were rumors abuzz about him being fired, but later, it was cited that the promotion's officials were unhappy with his work.

#2. WWE

Around 2007, CM Punk rose to prominence in WWE following the relaunch of ECW. Donning long hair and a lip piercing with his signature ink, CM Punk soon became a popular name in the industry.

In the period between 2011 and 2013, he feuded with John Cena. It was the time when real-life tension started with Vince McMahon and Triple H backstage due to some booking decisions. Things got so out of hand that it led to his Pipebomb Promo (which was a work), where he called out everyone backstage for their hypocrisy and biases. This also led to the infamous segment at Money in the Bank 2011 when he left the arena after defeating The Cenation Leader for the WWE Championship.

It was during this time when Punk surpassed 430 days as champion. After his feud with The Rock in 2013, The Second City Saint didn't do much on WWE television. The 44-year-old was last seen in the 2014 Royal Rumble match, and in July of that year, WWE fired him on his wedding day.

#1. AEW

In 2021, CM Punk made his debut on All Elite Wrestling and soon went on a quest in pursuit of the World Championship gold. At Double or Nothing last year, he defeated Hangman Page to win his first AEW World Championship. He engaged in feuds with many notable names from the promotion, including Jon Moxley, MJF, Darby Allin, Bryan Danielson, and Samoa Joe.

At AEW All In last weekend, the multi-time World Champion allegedly had a fight with Jack Perry backstage, which resulted in the two stars getting suspended. Prior to Collision, where Punk was the face of the brand, AEW announced that his contract had been terminated. Additionally, Tony Khan also addressed the situation, confirming that the former WWE star had been fired given the security hazard he posed to others at the PPV.