Backstage News On Length Of CM Punk's WWE Contract, Whether He's Currently Negotiating

CM Punk's WWE status has been the subject of much discussion over the past 24 hours. Initially it was reported that Punk was looking to restructure his current deal in order to allow him to stay with WWE for the rest of his career, with the hopes of running the "NXT" brand in the future. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer then reported that when Punk returned to WWE in 2023, he only signed a short-term deal, and that the reported negotiations are merely a way of getting WWE and Punk on the same page long-term.

However, a new report from PWInsider claims Punk signed a three-year deal in November 2023 upon his return, which would keep him with the company until November 2026 barring additional time added for injury. Citing multiple internal WWE sources, PWI confirmed that Punk and WWE are currently discussing a new deal, which would be "bigger" than his current one. However, PWI says it was WWE who approached Punk about re-negotiating, not the other way around. When asked why WWE would initiate such a move, PWI reports being told "New world. Huge numbers. Merch and socials." The report goes on to state that "It is not a case of Punk trying to get more out of the company."

The idea of WWE approaching Punk was backed up by a recent update by the X (fka Twitter) scoop account WrestleVotes, who claims a source within WWE told them the company is extremely happy with Punk's attitude, as well as his drawing power, merchandise sales, and commitment, with both sides wanting to continue this relationship for as long as possible.