What If... CM Punk NEVER Returned To Wrestling

Do you really think it was a coincidence that a WWE then booked by the consistently spiteful Vince McMahon opted to chuck not one, but two gigantic returns out at SummerSlam 2021? One night on from 'The Best in the World's game-changing comeback at the United Center?

WWE can't have been all that happy about the Punker threatening to overshadow their first sold-out stadium show since the pandemic began. And their decision to bring back both Brock Lesnar and Becky Lynch that night felt like as much of a treat to the audience as it was a middle finger to Phil and TK.

Are WWE in as much of a rush to bring back a certain former AEW EVP in a world where Punk didn't decide to help make their new top rivals hotter than ever before, too?

On his own merits, Cody Rhodes was already a signing worth making and then some, of course. But it certainly didn't hurt that his shocking jump over to WWE from the company he helped create subtly made Punk's new home look like the minor leagues by comparison.

And speaking of minor leagues, perhaps there's a chance Punk would have opted for another few rounds inside of a slightly less high-profile MMA cage had he decided to stay away from taking bumps for good. That was his original plan before being offered the chance to throw down inside of the UFC Octagon, and he still evidently has a passion for the sport - he commentates for Cage Fury Fighting Championships to this day.

The man of many talents, Phil Brooks, had also begun exploring the art of acting during that seven-year stint away, eventually making appearances in the likes of Girl on the Third Floor horror movie and wrestling drama series Heels.

And that's another passion he clearly had a desire to keep pursuing even after agreeing to fully immerse himself in the wrasslin' business again, appearing in the Mayans M.C. drama and season two of Heels in 2023.

Punk also once noted how he wanted to follow in Dave Bautista's impressive footsteps, with 'The Animal' even feeling his former WWE colleague could be a bigger star in the film world than he was in the pro-wrestling one. That's big praise from a damn Guardian of the Galaxy.

So, in an alternate reality where this outspoken icon didn't dust off his kick pads, perhaps having that extra time to focus on making it as a thespian could have led to the Punker becoming the latest wrestler to make a serious splash in Hollywood.

If fans have learned one thing from the last three years of CM fun, though...