CM Punk Reveals 2019 WWE Return Talks Failed After Vince McMahon Ghosted Him

CM Punk revealed in multiple recent interviews that he nearly returned to WWE around 2018 or 2019 after a secret meeting with Vince McMahon and Triple H at the Borgata in Atlantic City, which resulted in a handshake agreement. Despite the agreement, McMahon abruptly stopped communicating with Punk, effectively ghosting him and causing the return to fall apart. Punk emphasized that the common perception that WWE rejected him, leading him to work on the FOX show WWE Backstage, is inaccurate; rather, McMahon personally reached out and initiated the talks. This clandestine meeting marked the beginning of Punk mending his strained relationship with Triple H, which eventually culminated in his official WWE return at Survivor Series 2023. Following his return, Punk has been active in WWE, including winning a Gauntlet match on RAW and earning a World Heavyweight Championship title shot against Gunther at SummerSlam 2025. Punk described the story as unbelievable and plans to write a book about the experience.