Following on from reports that CM Punk was open to returning to WWE late last year, there is now an indication of what he wanted to do should he have made a comeback.

CM Punk was let go by AEW on Saturday as a direct result of their internal investigation into the backstage incident between himself and Jack Perry at Wembley Stadium during All In on August 27.

This was Punk's second alleged physical altercation during his time with AEW, the first of which came with EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks at All Out in September 2022.

Why did CM Punk leave AEW?

So, Tony Khan and the rest of AEW's leadership team made the decision to give the now 44-year-old his marching orders, in spite of the fact that he was their highest-seller in terms of merchandise and one of their biggest stars.

The announcement was made as it is believed to serve the best interests of those who work for AEW, their safety, and the benefit of the company as a whole, particularly in the long term.

Punk now finds himself without a company to call home, and, as unlikely as it may initially seem, there are those who continue to link the straight-edge star to a return to WWE, nine years after his controversial exit.

Some have said that due to the manner in which he left WWE in 2014, and his willingness to take shots about the company during his time with AEW, that he'd be unwilling to join his former company, but that might not be the case.

In fact, a report from Fightful has revealed that, during the aftermath of the aforementioned clash with The Elite last year, Punk was heavily pushing for an AEW exit, ten months before he ended up getting fired by Tony Khan.READ MORE: WWE: Triple H's original plans for John Cena's return leaked Not only that, it’s believed that he was very interested in a return to WWE at the time, and Fightful goes on to report that Punk’s camp was pitching for the 2023 Royal Rumble return, and match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania this year.

CM Punk wanted to appear at the 2023 Royal Rumble. One of the rumored ideas that Punk had - not confirmed with he or his camp - actually made its way back to some WWE talent.He would return at the Royal Rumble, and work a match at WrestleMania against the person who would eliminate him. Word within WWE was that Kevin Owens was the name thrown around. He'd go on to main event night one of WrestleMania.

The report doesn't state that WWE wanted Punk back at the time, or even now, and doesn't confirm whether or not the former AEW star now wants back in the company. However, it does show a willingness, at least from the wrestler's side, for a deal to have been reached last year.

Kevin Owens and Punk would likely be a dream match for most WWE fans, particularly because both are wildly charismatic and have quite outspoken characters. Though, it’s worth noting KO is a close friend of the Young Bucks, so may have reservations about working with the man who had such issues with them in AEW.READ MORE: CM Punk fired by AEW: 44-year-old already 'tried to rejoin WWE twice' As always, should more come out about CM Punk pitching to return to WWE, GiveMeSport will keep you informed.