Before CM Punk returned to wrestling in 2021, he was courted by The Elite to join their tight-knit group.
The two-time AEW Champion walked away from wrestling in 2014, following some frustrating years in the WWE.
Punk stayed away from wrestling for 7 years, dabbling in the UFC before signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2021.
The return was a long time coming, and you can hear by the roar of the crowd just how much they missed seeing CM Punk on their TV.
Many different people had tried to coax him out of retirement over the years, but none more significant than when The Elite tried their hand at it.
While they would later become fierce rivals of CM Punk (click here to learn more about that) in AEW, the group tried to recruit him into the Bullet Club in 2017.
The Elite Tried To Get CM Punk To Join Group
In 2017, The Elite revealed that the CM Punk was one of the two men that they would love to join their former group, Bullet Club.
As Bullet Club, the group took over New Japan Pro Wrestling as the top heel group in the company.
While first founded by Finn Balor, Kenny Omega soon took the group to new heights, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as the leader of the faction.
In a 2017 interview, The Elite revealed who the two wrestlers they would have loved to join the in Bullet Club.
First, Kenny Omega claimed that he’d love to see Hulk Hogan in the group (something Cody Rhodes had previously talked to The Hulkster about), before noting that the only man who could have the same impact in Bullet Club would be a returning CM Punk.
“There might be a couple dudes that end up in The Bullet Club. But I’m telling you right now, that’s not [our choice]. Hogan, if that’s still a option, Hogan. The only person that could touch Hogan, in terms of hype factor and somebody contributing, it’s got to be Punk,”
Kenny Omega on CM Punk & Hulk Hogan joining Bullet Club
The Young Bucks then jumped in, revealing that they had already spoken to CM Punk, offering him the chance to come back to wrestling with Bullet Club.
Matt Jackson spoke about how he texted Punk, telling him that he would love to work with him if he did return to wrestling (this was before Punk’s 2021 return to wrestling when he signed with AEW).
“I told [CM Punk] whenever you want to come back, please text me.I will somehow make this work out, because I would love to work with Punk, he’s one of my favorites of all time. What a great talker, I think that’s one thing missing on the Indies is guys who can talk,”
Since then, Bullet Club splintered off into The Elite, who went on to form AEW.
CM Punk then joined AEW, but a backstage fight between himself and the Elite left a potential dream match with Kenny Omega in jeopardy.