Everything we've heard on the CM Punk rumors (Patreon)

Rumors are swirling about CM Punk.

Fightful has learned a number of theories as to why CM Punk was off TV the last two months, which have made their way around online and to Fightful. We must make it clear -- we have not substantiated any of these rumors.

Rumors:

The rumors that made their way around was that CM Punk and WWE had some sort of issue that led to CM Punk wanting out of the company. Among the issues that were being rumored, was him being frustrated regarding the booking or treatment of AJ Lee. There were also vague rumors of an incident around WrestleMania, but it wasn't clarified to us whether or not that meant the fan incident where Punk slapped a phone out of a fan's hand for harassing AJ and Bayley. There was no real heat on him for that incident.

Another rumor was that Punk politicked for something specific at Mania, and got heat from TKO as a result.

What we've actually heard:

We've been unable to verify literally any of these claims, but did ask about all of them. Usually as it pertains to "incidents," it isn't often it will take two months to get to us.

Nobody in WWE among the dozens we spoke to has heard that Punk wanted out of his contract, and non of the talent we heard from believed that he was asked to take a pay cut, and had not heard that either.

One WWE source we spoke to says that CM Punk has a story coming up soon, and he's not been off WWE TV for any disciplinary reasons. There is actively new merchandise being produced, dates planned for this Summer for Punk.

AJ Lee is not imminently in WWE's plans, but that could end up changing. To be clear, contrary to reports, she was never planned to be a full time performer for WWE. The rumors that Punk would have been mad over something about AJ were scoffed at internally, as the plans for Lee's return and run were pretty well planned from the time she came back, and she completed that run. People that worked directly with and around AJ Lee had never heard of anything changing, or these rumors of an issue.

There was a tweet that gained traction claiming that Punk was appearing to say his goodbyes at the Raw after Mania. That was not the case at all.

Fightful even spoke to sources within the company who have never been keen on Punk whatsoever, who claimed they had not heard any of these rumors, or word that Punk wanted out. So if any of this is true, it hasn't made its way around WWE to talent yet.

Regarding the talking point of CM Punk ever returning to AEW, there are people within the company that have long believed that bridge will be rebuilt, even if he never works or wrestles there again. Perhaps it wouldn't be with everyone involved in Punk's many conflicts there, but when we'd asked if he'd burned that bridge completely, we were hit with the "never say never.

Sean Ross Sapp and Jon Alba will speak about this on today's Hump.