WWE commemorates CM Punk's return with behind-the-scenes video: 'Happy you're here'

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WWE star CM Punk made his return to the company one year ago Monday and the company put together a video showing the behind-the-scenes reactions and interactions with him.

It had been a decade since Punk left WWE, walking out of the company after disagreements with then-CEO Vince McMahon and chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque.

Punk did his own thing for quite a while. He gave MMA a try – in the cage and in the broadcast booth. He returned to pro wrestling in 2021 with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and had two tumultuous years there. He departed AEW in September 2023.

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CM Punk reacts during the Men’s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Jan. 27, 2024. (Joe Camporeale-USA Today Sports)

Two months later, he showed up following the end of Survivor Series: War Games in Chicago – his hometown. It was one of the most shocking surprises in recent memory. Rumors ran rampant in the days and weeks leading into the premium live event, but each thought was met with skepticism. Until, as Levesque put it at the time, hell froze over.

The WWE video showed Punk entering the Gorilla Position backstage with executive Bruce Prichard. He greeted Stephanie McMahon and others before he received his cue to go out to the thunderous applause.

Fellow WWE stars watched the moment backstage. Wrestlers Bayley and Shotzi were among those surprised.

"What a way to do it," Shotzi said.

Bayley ran to Gorilla Position to greet her longtime friend when he returned from the stage.

"I’m so happy you’re here," she said.

Punk greeted nearly everyone who walked out from the men’s War Games match, including Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Randy Orton.

Orton also made his return to the WWE on the same night.

CM Punk makes a shocking return to WWE on Nov. 25, 2023. (WWE)

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"Can I not enjoy 10 minutes of my f---ing return," Orton said with a smile.

The video didn’t show Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s reactions to Punk’s return. Neither wrestler appeared to be happy to see Punk back in WWE. While pro wrestlers are good at blurring the lines or reality and storyline angles, both acknowledge the real-life tensions they’ve had with Punk in the past.

McIntyre told Fox News Digital in October that their issues were very real but had to put business first.

"You can feel the tension," he said. "Everyone could feel the tension when him and I are near each other. We have to be professionals and do our job. We understand, we’ve been doing this a long time, that real personal issues, real hatred draws money. We also know when that bell rings, we can really lean into each other. None of us are going to complain and when we’re on the microphone, we can see how we feel. Both of us have thick skin, unlike a lot of our superstars – they want to cry whenever I tweet about them. I do appreciate that about them.

"But you can feel the tension when we’re around. And I remember there was some picture that came out online recently, and it was the big talk of the internet because Punk and I were close to each other during the day, and it was, ‘Oh my God they really don’t dislike each other.’ I was like, yeah, you frickin’ idiots. You don’t go to your office job and have to stand beside the guy you don’t like in your office occasionally just because someone snapped a picture of that moment because we’re dealing with a situation you have to deal with in your profession even if you can’t stand the p----."

Punk’s WWE return started with the McIntyre feud. It began at the Royal Rumble in January when McIntyre tore Punk’s triceps performing a move on him. From there, Punk tormented McIntyre and even cost him his brief World Heavyweight Championship reign at WrestleMania 40.

CM Punk eliminates Dominik Mysterio during the Men’s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Jan. 27, 2024. (Joe Camporeale-USA Today Sports)

Their rivalry culminated in an epic trilogy that ended in a bloody Hell in a Cell match, which Punk won.

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He had been off TV for a few weeks following the match. He returned to the fold this past Friday on SmackDown and put himself into the War Games match between Bloodline rivals.

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