How would you book CM Punk if he came back?

[Ric 'The Nature Boy' Flair]

Please don't start bashing and spamming "CM Punk isn't coming back! Deal with it!" How would you book him IF he ever came back. Who would he feud with? Would he win a title? Don't say "Officials wouldn't give him an oppurtunity after what he did.

 

[GooN3rs4LIFE]

I think he will come back in 1-2 years after finding he prefers WWE to UFC and is proberbly better at it.
I think he should return as number 30 in a royal rumble, doesn't matter which one but as long as WWE doesn't announce it like they did with Batista then he will be fine and the top face again. Obviously he should then win.
He should then have a small feud with someone like Seth Rollins or dean ambrose, just to keep him occupied until mania.
At mania he can win the WWE World Heavyweight championship from whoever the champion is by then. Just would have big pops and possibly the biggest return of all time.

 

[Really?]

On a unicorn with a shroud of rainbows.....

Seriously though, the only, and I mean the ONLY way to bring him back would be in a worked shoot with HHH.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

As a jobber.....

He would be a former champion who puts over EVERYBODY.....

Since he hated guys coming back and getting special treatment then HE SHOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY EITHER.....

Start from the bottom Kid.....

Earn your Main Event status

 

[Jimmy Carter]

He should return as a new character, never acknowledging his previous stint in WWE.

Brook Philips debuts in NXT and immediately gets booked in championship matches based on threatening Regal to quit. Within a few months he enters at number 30 in the Royal Rumble and wins an opportunity to main event Wrestlemania. Then during the show he gets taken out backstage and replaced by John Cena.

 

[FromGlasgow]

It would be ironic for him to come back especially to a main event level after him bad mouthing all the others for coming back such as The Rock and Brock Lesnar even though Both Brock and Rock actually drew during their original world championship reigns compared to CM Punks forgetable title reigns but I guess in Punks twisted mind he will see himself as an exception and deserving of the immediate top main eventer position.

If he has to come back I would bring him back as a heel and play on his comments to give him extra heat and give guys that he said the comments about a chance of revenge but I really hope he doesn't come back as he really doesn't deserve any kind of push in wrestling ever again I think I would just change the channel if he came back.

 

[LBGetBack]

It would be ironic for him to come back especially to a main event level after him bad mouthing all the others for coming back such as The Rock and Brock Lesnar even though Both Brock and Rock actually drew during their original world championship reigns compared to CM Punks forgetable title reigns but I guess in Punks twisted mind he will see himself as an exception and deserving of the immediate top main eventer position.

If he has to come back I would bring him back as a heel and play on his comments to give him extra heat and give guys that he said the comments about a chance of revenge but I really hope he doesn't come back as he really doesn't deserve any kind of push in wrestling ever again I think I would just change the channel if he came back.

I think you and the other guy above missed his point. He wasn't complaining about former stars returning to the WWE, as much as he was complaining about guys returning as part timers for short runs, and jumping right over the current established stars and winning titles or getting main event slots during those short runs.

 

[louchratis]

Punk's booking would, for me, depend on how long he's away and how successful he is in UFC. If he comes back in six months or a year with his tail between his legs after getting knocked around in a cage I'd book him similar to how Jericho is booked. He has the name recognition to mention himself as belonging in championship matches but he would mostly be there to put over young talent. However, if he waits two or three years, has some success in UFC (maybe he wins his first three matches and gets hotshotted to a number one contenders match where he puts up a decent fight, which I can see Dana White doing since his company needs a boost in PPV buys), then I would have him be in a program with HHH that was centered around worked shoots during which, if he beats HHH, he main events Mania and if he loses his run is over. Maybe they could even work in that if he loses he has to admit that everything he said about WWE doctors on Colt Cabana's podcast was a lie and issue some formal apology. It would make for good tv and would eventually lead to Punk getting his main event spot.

 

[ghost94]

As a jobber.....

He would be a former champion who puts over EVERYBODY.....

Since he hated guys coming back and getting special treatment then HE SHOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY EITHER.....

Start from the bottom Kid.....

Earn your Main Event status

No he didn't. You obviously didn't hear the podcast. He has no problem with Dave or any of the part-timers coming back and getting proper treatment. His problem was with them not doing house shows or anything except showing up to main events in PPVs 3 times a year.

I'd book CM Punk right where he left off, upper mid-card in a fued with Cena.

 

[rmp0012002]

Since this is the world of pro wrestling Punk/McMahon falls under the same lore as the Montreal Screwjob so you never know what is reality and what is a swerve. Too hard to book something 2-3 years from now since you don't know who will be there or if Vince will be there.
The only angle I could see is Punk vs HHH but he's a one match a year guy now so I don't know. Maybe set it up to be a Punk vs HHH main event in a cage at WM with punk going over. If it's good business for Vince then it could happen but on the other hand it could be Montreal Part II.

 

[stingray11214]

It will all depend on what happens in UFC. If Punk wins a UFC belt, he will be built and booked similar to Lesnar. If he does well, but not win a belt, you build him on an Amrose level. If he stinks up the joint, he will not even sign.

 

[Really?]

If punk wins a UFC belt, break out the unicorns and rainbows. For the record, it won't happen. In fact, I think there is as much a chance he wins a UFC belt as there is him coming back to WWE in the next 3 years. Now, if every life long fighter ever, with any kind of fighting background, ever, retires or leaves the UFC, and Punk wins a strap in the UFC, he wouldn't come back to the WWE.

 

[Navi]

If CM Punk comes back to the WWE then he's the biggest hypocrite that ever walked the face of the earth. Yes Vince said he hoped it would happen one day, but what's he supposed to say on the podcast "I hope never to see him again, he's a raging asshole and drama queen." Oh that would open up Pandora's Box all over again wouldn't it.

But let's say he does come back and all is forgiven between him and Vince. Punk still has HHH and the rest of the roster to deal with, you know the ones he shit all over, and walked out on just before the biggest show of the year.

I would book him against every member of the roster that he named in the podcast. Start him off in a 3-1 handicap match against the group he created The Shield. The next week, he can go against the guy he shit on the most Ryback, so on and so forth. Finally he can take on HHH in a match that would determine if CM Punk gets a main event match at Mania. I don't see him winning any of them.

CM Punk not only crossed a bridge when he left, he threw a match and a can of gasoline behind him and burned that sucker to the ground. He said many times he wanted out and he was done. Well he walked and can keep on going. I wish the guy well in whatever he decides to do, but I'm in no rush to see him come back.

 

[BuriedByCena]

I would start an old school feud.....

RAW in Chicago - CM Punks music hits. Crowd goes nuts! Vince McMahon walks out laughing. He goes on the mic and tells the crowd he hopes they enjoyed it because that is the last time they will ever hear that quitters song.

Punk goes on TV Shows outside WWE and starts ripping the company a new one.

Vince flips out next week on RAW and gives the middle finger to the camera and straight up tells CM Punk to **** off on live TV(obviously bleeped for people at home).

Punk shows up a WWE event with a Ticket for front row seats with AJ. He heckles WWE all night and eggs the crowd on to "ruin the show".

He gets arrested/kicked out of the arena.

More back and forth stuff on twitter, vince statements on wwe.com, Punk doing more TV. wrestling is cool again.

Punk makes his return for whatever stupid reason. Who cares at this point? WWE will retcon it a week later anyway LOL.

Punk signs a new contract, attacks vince, attacks HHH, attacks Steph, Wins the rumble, main events wrestlemania against HHH, Ryback and Cena or something. The people responsible for ruining wrestling for him.

I really don't care how they do it, but as long as they make it FEEL real like Austin Vs McMahon or when Matt Hardy returned to fight Edge/hate Lita. Make it epic.

 

[capnwillie]

Now that he's at the point of no return with a UFC contract, it depends on how that turns out. If he can get some respectable wins and sell PPVs for UFC, I think WWE would entertain bringing him back and give him strong booking. Lesnar pissed a lot of people off, but after becoming a UFC champion and making money for them, WWE saw the value in bringing him back and he's the champion now. I'd expect a few obligatory "penalty jobs" same as Lesnar, followed by a similar mega-push.

Now, if he comes back after having his ass handed to him and washing out, it's a different story. I think his star power will sink if that's the case and a lot of his die-hard fans will probably even bail on him. No monster push, because WWE will look at it as no big deal. If Lesnar is still on the payroll even on a part-time basis, Punk won't have much to boast in the way of credentials. It's a risky endeavor for him, at any rate.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

When CM Punk returns to WWE, I would book him against HHH and Vince right away. His return would be booked in Chicago during a PPV or Raw. I would have him do a schedule similar to HBK in 2004-2010; Raw, PPV and occasional house shows. I would also have him win the WWE title pretty soon after he returns - again in Chicago. If his mainstream exposure helps him become an even bigger draw than he was; put him in the main event at WM!

 

[George Steele's Barber]

He comes out bottomless so we can all see his vag and he declares that he is going to fight his wife for the Divas championship as the main event of WM.

Everyone collectively rolls their eyes at him again so he leaves and cuts a four hour rant on his unfair and neglectful treatment by WWE.

 

[Mustang Sally]

On a unicorn with a shroud of rainbows.....

Could be. If he ever agreed to come back, it would surely be with contractual stipulations that put him in the driver's seat for the length of his employment .....stips that would elevate WWE to the heights of sports entertainment (if Punk is right) or drop the company to the depths (if he's wrong).

Or, perhaps worse..... they'd adhere to his demands and find after time that nothing had really changed in ratings, viewership & all that good stuff they like to measure, meaning Punk didn't have the impact he (and they) figured he would.

Honestly, my guess would be the latter, in whichever manner they booked him. Look, there's no sense in revising history simply because of the way he exited WWE. He was quite good, but never as great as he believed himself to be.....and if he returned, it's impossible to say how he should be booked, because the only way he'd come back is if he called the shots.....and given the company would never go for that, I think the chances of him returning are nil.

 

[Officer Trapdoor]

I'd book Puunk as a heel more concerned with his physical well being and position on the card than entertaining fans.

Heymen would be his advocate again and he would negotiate Punk a part time contract where he doesn't have to tour, only appears on select Raws, and wrestles in the main event at pay-per-views.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think you and the other guy above missed his point. He wasn't complaining about former stars returning to the WWE, as much as he was complaining about guys returning as part timers for short runs, and jumping right over the current established stars and winning titles or getting main event slots during those short runs.

You men like he's done upon signing with UFC? I don't blame UFC for cashing in on opportunity, but Punk's essentially doing the exact same thing that he's been raking part timers over the coals for in WWE for the past several years: "jumping right over the current and established stars and winning titles or getting main event slots during those short runs." They already said that Punk would at least be in the co main event spot upon his debut and, in some ways, it's even worse because at least Rock & Lesnar have experience as pro wrestlers where as CM Punk has no MMA experience since he's never fought a single fight.

But, as to the topic at hand, I'm not really certain how I'd book Punk. Part of me would feel that he deserves to be made to work his way back up to the top of the roster. He's complained about this and that over the years, never seemingly happy with whatever's going on, so part of me would want him to start from scratch. At the same time, there's no denying that Punk returning to WWE would be a big deal that'd grab a lot of attention. He still has a huge number of fans, some have automatically sided with him just because it's against WWE after all, and it'd probably be a big financial mistake not to take advantage of the situation. In the grand scheme of things, making money is what's best for business and not pushing Punk big time would probably cost a lot of money.

I'd have to think on this for a spell. I know that the proper thing to do would be to push Punk but, at the same time, look at what a crappy message it'd be sending to the rest of the roster. Punk has raked WWE over the coals, so him coming back and getting a bit main event push could be viewed as the proverbial slap in the face to the rest of the roster, as Punk has alleged the returns of The Rock & Brock Lesnar have been. Of course, judging from Punk's comments upon signing with the UFC, he doesn't mind preferential treatment so long as he's the one reaping the benefits of it.

 

[rmp0012002]

If the podcast is true then the only way he returns is with a Lesnar type contract, I hold the belt, I wrestle when I want not you and I main event and win Wrestlemania. The only people he would have heat with are HHH and Ryback as I think the rest of the roster wished they could have said what punk said.
I don't think going to UFC has any influence on whether he would be wanted back. Cain beat Lensar to death in his last fight so that shows UFC is not a stepping stone and really has no bearing on drawing in the WWE.

 

[capnwillie]

I think UFC should have put him on TUF, honestly. Boost the ratings for that show while also showing they're not just letting him take the spotlight from experienced young fighters. Make him fight for his spot, and even if he doesn't win the TUF finale he could get a contract if he shows enough effort and potential.

 

[RusevHits]

Using logic - Punk doesn't like the place,he doesn't want to wrestle but he may want to help someone succeed. I would bring him back as a manager/mouthpiece for whoever the top struggling face is in 2 years time (lets say Sami Zayn). Punk helps him to get back on his feet and win a midcard title. After a decent run there starts to be some friction, Punk causes him to lose the title. They split before Royal Rumble. Sami runs his mouth about how he will win the Royal Rumble and do what Punk couldn't do - headline Wrestlemania. Punk gets mad and asks HHH for a spot. HHH smiles and gives him number 1. Punk and Sami are the last 2 but get taken out by the champion and his faction making WM a triple threat. WWE builds it as Sami being in a 2 on 1 match because Punk doesn't care as much for the title as he does about beating Sami. During the match Punk has a chance to cheat and win the title but he hesitates and gets taken out by the champion. Sami clears the ring and pins Punk for the title.

I think that checks all the requirements that both WWE and Punk could have.