CM Punk will only be a presence at WrestleMania or WWE in general in chant form. The flesh-and-blood version will remain elsewhere.
Next January will mark the four-year anniversary of one of the messiest exits from the company ever. Punk disappeared from WWE TV after the 2014 Royal Rumble. A walkout preceded a wedding-day firing. And Punk later laid into his old company in a no-holds-barred, profanity-laced interview with Colt Cabana on the Art of Wrestling podcast (h/t Gene Mrosko of Cageside Seats).
But it doesn't matter how much time passes. Rumors, speculation and wishful thinking about his potential return to the ring will not die.
Twitter and Reddit are home to regular talk of Punk's comeback. Writers and fans project how and when it could happen.
Most recently, Jim Ross brought up the idea on Sam Roberts' podcast (h/t PWInsider). When asked who he would recruit to WWE, the Hall of Fame announcer said: "I would try to figure out a way if there is one more run in CM Punk, and one more run means one WrestleMania, the only other way I would do him is have him return at WrestleMania and that way there is no pressure on anybody."
Ross is right here. WWE should absolutely attempt to woo Punk. His return would mean big-time money and it would scratch an itch that fans have had for nearly four full years.
But it's not happening.
The Punk-to-WWE talk should be put to bed. File it away in the same slot as WWE moving away from its PG-TV rating or Chris Benoit getting into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Other stars have been fired in the past. The Straight-Edge Superstar isn't the first to badmouth the company after his departure. But this is different, the cut is deeper, the bridges burned to fine ash.
During the infamous interview in 2014, Punk said staff improperly diagnosed and treated a staph infection. He recalled a life of concussions and grueling travel, of backstage politics that wore on him.
The legal issues that have followed make it far less likely that he would go back to that environment.
WWE doctor Chris Amann filed a lawsuit against Punk for the claims he made during that interview. In August, Christopher Harrington of Fightful reported that WWE submitted an application for Punk to pay "half of the $241,007 in attorney's fees and costs."
Punk would have a long list of things to forgive Vince McMahon and WWE for should he decide to bury the hatchet.
It's not as if Punk seems to be missing his old life one bit, though. The former WWE champ told Chris Van Vliet (warning: link contains profanity)in 2014 he will "never, ever" step into a squared circle again. While his tone there was tongue-in-cheek, he has maintained the same mindset since.
Ahead of Punk's UFC debut, he told MMA reporter Damon Martin that leaving WWE was one of the best things that has ever happened to him:
When Kevin Wong interviewed Punk for Complex in 2016, the former WWE titleholder said: "I don't feel like fielding questions about it [WWE]. I've been there, I've done that, and I've accomplished everything I was going to."
Punk has shown no interest in pro wrestling since his divorce from the company.
He hasn't appeared for any other companies. He hasn't wrestled or shown up at wrestling conventions. He hasn't appeared on wrestling podcasts to discuss the current product. Punk has instead moved into a new phase of his life.
He's penning comic books, enjoying married life and doing his damndest to fulfill a dream of UFC success.
Those holding out hope for Punk to step back into the WWE spotlight at some point will point to the Ultimate Warrior, Goldberg or Bruno Sammartino as former stars who buried their respective hatchets with the company and came back in some form.
Sammartino never sued WWE, though. Goldberg never believed WWE's doctors put his life in danger. Warrior still wrestled after leaving WWE while Punk's passion for the business has seemed to have all withered away.
"Never say never" is a common truism in wrestling, but this is looking and more like a situation where "never" is the most apt word to use.
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