CM Punk at Raw

CM Punk is a masterful politician.

As much as "the summer of Punk" in 2011 was based on CM Punk's rage against the machine of the corporate agenda of the WWE office, make no mistake about it, he's as political as anyone. That's not a knock, either. Pro wrestling always was and will always be a political chess match. The ability to maneuver the pieces on the board behind the scenes can often allow for success in front of the cameras.

That's why Punk's visit to Raw backstage in Chicago this week shouldn't be all that surprising.

According to PW Insider's Mike Johnson, Punk was traveling back from Tampa, where he did commentary for an MMA event and was on the same flight with several of the WWE talents. Reportedly, those talents invited the former WWE and AEW champion to go backstage at Raw in his hometown of Chicago. If the rumor mill is to be believed, Punk's stay at the WWE product was brief, as he was asked to leave by Vince McMahon because he's currently under contract to All Elite Wrestling. Considering there was the previous speculation of WWE in discussion with AEW competitors about when their deals expire, Punk being asked to leave would've been more of a technicality than anything else to avoid any potential lawsuit for contract tampering of AEW talent. We all know that Jerry McDevitt was busy enough the past few years. Still, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer noted that Punk had the chance to talk to The Miz, who he had some harsh criticism of online in recent years, and Triple H, another WWE representative that he was very critical of after he left the company.

Punk isn't known as a forgiving guy so why exactly would he want to mend WWE fences now?

As nice as it legitimately is when someone reaches a level of peace to bury the hatchet on past grudges, I highly doubt that CM Punk was backstage to patch things up simply out of the goodness of his heart.If I had to guess, I'd say that Punk was indirectly putting his name back into the WWE conversation, if for no other reason than to clear the path for an eventual comeback run before he finally retires. Granted, he's still under an AEW deal, but at most there are only a few years left on that and some good will with the WWE doesn't hurt when he hits the free agent market, either as a bargaining chip with Tony Khan or signing a new deal with WWE. For those that might scoff at the notion that Punk would sign another contract with Vince McMahon, Phil Brooks is a capitalist before he's supposedly a rebel of the industry. If Ultimate Warrior returned to WWE then it's more than possible that Punk makes a comeback. Some might cite Punk's role on the short-lived FS1 show, but that was Brooks hired by Fox, not WWE. All things considered, the disputes with the company, including the lengthy lawsuit and its aftermath from statements that Punk made about WWE's medical staff on Colt Cabana's podcast, might've been too fresh at that point. Time might not heal all wounds, but cash usually does. With the UFC merger and the $21.9 billion that will be under the Endeavor banner, it's a very wise move for Punk to put himself in a scenario where he could start a dialogue that opens the door for a contract that would eventually left him get a piece of that pie.

Assuming Punk made amends with The Miz and Triple H, it's definitely an olive branch, otherwise why would he show up backstage? He humbly showed up on WWE's doorstep, exchanged a few words with those he wanted to talk to, and left when he was asked without incident because he knows the corporate game of contracts. The millions of dollars for an Endeavor contract make it much easier to apologize to The Miz, and it's not a one-sided scenario either. Based on the All Elite ratings, there's still a portion of the WWE audience that haven't seen Punk compete in a match since his exit in 2014. As polarizing as Jim Cornette might be these days, he was absolutely correct with the concept of, "how can we miss you if you won't go away?" so there would undoubtedly still be a demand for CM Punk from the WWE fan base. If there's money to be made from it, and it appears that there is, the WWE office isn't going to leave money on the table. The company didn't become a part of a $21.9 billion merger because management didn't maximize revenue streams.

How does this impact AEW?

In truth, in the short term, it doesn't. Phil Brooks is under contract and is reportedly ready to return to the ring after he had surgery to repair the torn bicep that he suffered during the match with Jon Moxley last September. At one point in the aftermath of the infamous AEW media scrum, Dave Meltzer reported that Punk was in negotiations with Tony Khan of a possible buyout of his contract, which wouldn't make much sense since Khan could've released him without paying him the hefty portion of his deal. However, it's very possible that Punk looked for an early release, and Tony didn't grant it so he was content to stay home and collect the check while he recovered from the injury. That being said, if Punk knows he can't get out of his AEW deal, he either has to be willing to return to work to continue to collect those big paydays or he would be in breach of contract. Considering that Punk already had enough lawsuits to deal with since his WWE exit, it's the smart move to make the cash instead of spending it on more attorneys.

However, that doesn't mean that Tony Khan shouldn't take notice of the message that was sent by Phil Brooks when he showed up backstage at Raw. Punk let Khan know that he will have other options to make major money after his All Elite contract expires so it would be in Khan's best interest to book him in situations that will generate a return on the hefty investment that was made to sign him. While that makes sense, I honestly believe Khan should've released Punk after the All Out press conference. The numbers were more or less stagnant for most of his run on television and of the year that he was on the roster, he spent a quarter of that time on the shelf with a foot injury. Most importantly, Phil Brooks buried the entire company while Khan sat next to him looking completely lost. The entire situation made AEW look minor league and in many ways, the company still has some of that perception. That being said, it's clear that Khan isn't going to release Punk so what to do with him next, especially with the years left on his contract will be key to generate a return on the previously mentioned contract investment.

The Wrestling Observer reported that CM Punk claims that he's willing to work with The Elite and make peace with them, but the trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks aren't as open to the idea of working with him. Of course, Punk is going to say that because he's a capitalist and wants to make the money on the table. Again, a few million dollars makes it much easier to sell the super kick with the silly leg slap. Plus, I've said before, Punk publicly proclaimed that if anyone has a problem with him then they can go to him so he can't claim he didn't ask for a confrontation when someone approaches him about the disagreement. I take the reports of Discovery's request for CM Punk to be the centerpiece of a third show with a grain of salt especially because injuries could theoretically sideline anyone at anytime. While a third show is rumored, it doesn't matter how much money would be offered for it, I honestly think it would be a negative to the company in the long term and that the short end money isn't worth how much a third-tier show would dilute the presentation of the product.

Assuming that there's a third show in the future, even if Punk is going to be the featured performer, the reports that the potential Saturday show would be a way to keep CM Punk away from those that don't want to work him are silly. This is the wrestling business and the biggest money to be made for All Elite Wrestling is to put CM Punk in a feud with The Elite based on their real-life animosity. This isn't elementary school where everyone gets their own part of the playground. There are potentially millions of dollars to be made on pay-per-view, if The Elite don't realize that or aren't willing to work with CM Punk to draw it then Tony Khan should seriously consider who he pushes as the top talent in the company.

The bottom line is, Phil Brooks' visit backstage to Raw was a way to ensure he has the option to land another big contract before he hangs up his boots, and to let Tony Khan know that he should be used in a featured spot upon his return to AEW because he has other options when his contract expires. With everything that was said, the lawsuits, and the backstage drama that involved CM Punk over the years in the two companies, you have to give him credit for the way he politically weaved his way into a much better spot earlier this week. Punk would probably send Joe to watch Jeopardy with a cup of coco, and verbal shred the orange villain so prehaps he should consider a run in the next election.