Bischoff on Punk: “I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole”

Nov 12, 2022 - by James Walsh

There has been speculation that CM Punk could end up returning to WWE if he exits AEW over the All Out brawl, and Eric Bischoff has weighed in on the idea. It has been reported that WWE would likely be interested in using Punk in some capacity if he ends up leaving AEW due to the altercation, though it should be noted that Punk’s AEW status is not clear and he has not, to any indications, been released.

Bischoff spoke with Wrestling Inc for a new interview and was asked about the idea of Punk returning to WWE. Bischoff said he wouldn’t do it if he were in charge and explained why. You can check out some highlights below:

On the possibility of Punk jumping to WWE:

“I don’t know what Paul Levesque is thinking, I don’t know what their plans are, their strategies are, so I have no idea. I can tell you from my perspective, I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. I think CM Punk had a mystique because of WWE, and because of the pipe bomb interview, and because he walked out, that created this aura and mystique that [AEW CEO] Tony [Khan] brought to AEW and took advantage of for a minute. And once that mystique was gone, once you kind of let that air out of the balloon, and now you’re just performing every week, I didn’t see it in Punk. I just didn’t see it in him as a character, I didn’t see it in him in the ring –- he was good, but he wasn’t phenomenal.”

On why he doesn’t think Punk would be successful in WWE:

“He’s old, he’s fragile, he was never in great shape to begin with, he didn’t start out as an athlete, and now at [44] years old, he’s fragile as hell. So what would you do [with him]? Especially in WWE, where the intensity, and the physicality, and the schedule is so much more than it is in AEW, just the sheer workload.”

On the wrestling community turning on Punk after All Out:

“I think the audience has kind of turned on him. I’m sure he still has some die-hard fans out there and all that, everybody does, but the general audience, I think he left a really bad taste in their mouth, and they realize that that mystique is no longer there, and he’s just another guy. So I don’t see the value. I can’t imagine it.”

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