Ryback On Why He Thinks CM Punk Didn't Sign With AEW
CM Punk is back with WWE, in a way, as a FOX employee on WWE Backstage. He is a special contributor and analyst and has stated that he has no current plans to return to the ring.
Punk had many options available to him in terms of a wrestling related including AEW. Ryback discussed why he believes Punk turned down AEW on his podcast with Wrestling Inc. President Raj Giri.
"CM Punk, this weird dynamic, who at one time didn't want anything to do with pro wrestling is all of a sudden going in and talking about WWE. And like I said, I think it is a weird chess game going on where he is going to go there and shoot on stuff in a more negative way and call bulls**t when he sees it on things that he doesn't like, and he is allowed to give his opinion on different things. And FOX is going to allow it, where it is going to create a situation where he is going to probably be able to go back and get the WrestleMania main event match that he always wanted. That is what I feel like is going on, and that is why I feel like he didn't go to AEW," said Ryback.
It's been reported that one of the reasons why Punk left WWE in the first place is that he never main evented a WrestleMania. He was in one of the three main events at both WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29, but wasn't in the final match for either.
"He wanted that WrestleMania main event and say 'f**k everybody' I am done for good. There is nothing else in this. There is no way, and once you are out of that bubble and once you are out there is no way you want to go back and work a full-time WWE schedule ever again," said Ryback. "There is no way. I just can't see it. I know that I don't ever want to, ever. I know that I want to still wrestle, but I never want to go back to that culture ever again.
"It's like Shawshank Redemption, once you are out, it is a beautiful thing when you are truly free from there. There is a weird dynamic going on where he is allowed to come on and shoot. I am sure Vince and Hunter are not thrilled about this, but Punk has figured out a way. His plan blew up in his face to go to UFC after two losses, but still found a way to be in that circle now. I'm telling you I would not be shocked for him to be figured into the main event of a WrestleMania after all of this."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Conversations with The Big Guy Ryback with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Peter Bahi contributed to this article.