CM Punk was the calmest man in the arena when he made his WWE return last year – which is incredible considering the chaos behind it.
Punk stunned the wrestling world when he appeared at Survivor Series in his native Chicago to end his nine-year exile from WWE.
The 46-year-old, who had spent the preceding two years with rival promotion All-Elite Wrestling (AEW), had vowed never to return.
Punk – real name Phil Brooks – last competed under the WWE umbrella at the 2014 Royal Rumble before an acrimonious split.
After walking out of the company a day after that event, he was sent his termination papers on his wedding day – an incident former WWE chairman Vince McMahon claimed was purely coincidental.
Punk, who is one of the most outspoken figures in the modern wrestling era, was then involved in a long-running legal dispute against WWE doctor Chris Amann.
The ‘Second City Saint’ was served with a defamation lawsuit after claiming Dr Amann had misdiagnosed a serious staph infection and failed to adequately treat other injuries.
WWE publicly sided with their employee but a jury ruled in favour of Punk in 2018. During the intervening years, Punk also took several public shots at both McMahon and his son-in-law/heir to the wrestling empire Triple H.
However, relations from both sides eventually began to thaw, which was helped by ‘The Game’ Paul Levesque taking creative control.
Punk had an unsuccessful 0-2 run with UFC (his final loss later being declared a no-contest), before returning to wrestling.
The never-ending rumour mill that Punk could return to WWE reignited after his tenure in AEW ended sourly in September 2023.
Just over two months later, ‘Cult of Personality’ blared out following the end of the WarGames main event at Survivor Series and out strolled Punk, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans.
During an interview with the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, Punk detailed the extraordinary circumstances that preceded his arrival.
In true Peter Odemwingie style, ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ drove across Illinois to Rosemont, where Survivor Series was taking place, from his house in Chicago without a deal in place.
“I was stressed out leaving the house,” Punk admitted. “My wife [former WWE star AJ Lee] was like, ‘I’m so excited for you – just put this white t-shirt on!”
After arriving at the Allstate Arena, WWE security made Punk change into a dark tracksuit while remaining in his car to avoid detection.
The former MMA grappler revealed he was parked next to a TV truck that was personalised with imagery of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Punk said: “Let me take a picture – sent it to Steve – and he hit me back with, ‘WTF kid’.”
The American conceded that there was a chance he could have left Survivor Series without a contract being agreed.
He continued: “Personally, there could have been, if there were some hard no’s in the contracts, but I think both sides were eager. Then you get the lawyers involved, and it’s a lot.”
WWE were just as keen to keep negotiating to the wire and Punk was soon ushered into Gorilla position, the backstage area where wrestlers wait before they come out for their entrance, so that he’d be ready to appear at a moment’s notice.
Punk said: “I get a text, ‘We’re going to clear the hallway and come get you and put you in Triple H’s office.’ I ran through the building, they put me in the freight elevator. I hear them on the other side yelling, ‘Clear the hallway.’ ‘Oh no. I’m not that guy now.’ They clear the hallway, the freight elevator door opens up and six steps this way is the door I’m walking into. I walk in, sit down, and I’m in there.
“They are starting the WarGames match and I don’t have a deal yet.
“I’m sitting in there, the lawyers are going back and forth, hammering stuff out, and Triple H walks in and is like, ‘If this gets done, we’ll wait, and when the time is right, we’ll bring you in through Gorilla.’
“Contracts get executed, and it’s time. Deep breath, open the door, walk through Gorilla. There are so many people in Gorilla.”
Triple H’s wife Stephanie McMahon-Levesque and Brit William Regal were among the faces Punk reunited with – but Bayley was first on the scene.
The Role Model, real name Pamela Rose Martinez, is close friends with Punk’s wife AJ and had clocked on to what was happening backstage.
“I don’t think people knew,” Punk began. “I think they were piled in [Gorilla position] because it’s the end of the show and social media people are filming winners and losers coming through the curtain.
“I remember being in Gorilla, and all of a sudden, I get bear-hugged from behind. I turn around to see who it is, and it’s Bayley. She’s like, ‘I f***** knew it! As soon as they started yelling at us to clear the hallway … I knew it!’ She’s not letting go of me.
“Triple H is there [and] Stephanie [McMahon], I remember seeing and having a moment with. Somebody I haven’t seen in ten years [and] somebody where people are like, ‘They hate each other,’ [William] Regal. I remember looking at Regal and him going [‘Look at us’ facial expression]. There were so many people in there.”
All the while, Survivor Series’ main event is wrapping up and Punk recalled a communication breakdown he’d had with Triple H.
The pair had been attempting to orchestrate Punk’s on-screen return seconds before he walked out to greet a rampant home crowd.
“I don’t know what to do. I absolutely lose my composure. All I know is I’m coming out. But I don’t know what the set looks like, I don’t know if there’s a ramp. I’m literally in the dark.
“So I’m trying to talk to Triple H over the table, and it’s so loud and there’s so many people and they hit my music and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. What am I doing?’ And he’s like, ‘Go out and walk down to the cage.’ And I’m like, ‘Go out and walk all the way down to the cage!?’
“He was trying to tell me that there was two cages for the babyfaces and the heels for WarGames and he wanted me to walk down and stand in-between there.
“So in my head, I’m like, I’m marching all the way to the cage and he’s like, ‘No!’ My music’s playing, and we’re going back-and-forth and we’re both freaking out. He went, ‘No!’ And he rips his headset off and I’m like, ‘Oh God! What are we doing!?’
“Obviously, we figured it out. But the chaos backstage, I mean, it’s last minute, there’s so much stuff going on back there and they film everything now so I’m sure someday we’re gonna see a lot of cool stuff.
“It was just such a great moment and I love that chaos and that uncertainty again.
“I was like, man, I could just drink it up all day. But when the music hit, it was deafening!”
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