Triple H addresses CM Punk returning to WWE at the 2023 Survivor Series PLE

As seen during the 2023 WWE Survivor Series PLE, CM Punk made his return to the company at the very end of the show. While speaking to media at the post-show press conference, Triple H addressed Punk’s return…

“This is one of those lighting-in-a-bottle moments that came together very quickly. We are incredibly excited about it. It’s been a long time, and in some ways been a long time coming. You can say this about CM Punk; love him, hate him, positive, negative, whatever you want to say, people talk about him all the time. He’s a magnet for that, he’s a conversation starter, and it’s tough to look past that. For me, if our fans want it, if the WWE Universe is excited to have it, then, let’s go, and we’ll figure out the rest of it from there. This came together super quick, which I’m sure is why it stayed very tight. There was a lot of speculation, and at that point, it was nothing but speculation. For most of the time it was speculation, it didn’t really come to fruition until everybody stopped thinking it was going to happen, and then all of sudden, it was happening. Extremely excited. A lot of time has gone by, almost ten years. If you are the same person you were ten years ago, ten years later, you messed up. Everybody grows, everybody changes. I’m a different person, he’s a different person. This is a different company. We’re all on the same even starting ground. What’s next for CM Punk? That will be interesting, won’t it? I’m interested in seeing that myself. I know whatever it is, it will be talked about, it’ll be exciting, and it will be a thrill ride for the WWE Universe, no matter what it is. I’m thrilled, we’re all thrilled, to have him back here and have him back, cliched to say, have him back home in WWE. It’s where he belongs.”

When asked if TKO pushed for Punk’s return, Triple H said the following…

“There has been zero push from anybody past WWE. It’s myself, Nick Khan. To be honest, very few people knew about it past that. It’s a funny thing, all of a sudden there is a mystery entity behind WWE. We’re doing our thing and we’re trusted to our thing and trusted to do what we feel is right for business. To be honest, probably the top people at TKO were going ‘Holy Shit.’ It’s a good thing. It’s a crazy, cool time right now at WWE. I think fans can feel that. A lot of energy, a lot of excitement, and I’m ready. Let’s run through a wall. Let’s do this and do it the biggest way possible, and keep building on what Vince McMahon made into a global juggernaut for 50 years. If I have anything to do with it and have any say in it, we’re going to make it bigger than it’s ever been before.” (quotes courtesy of Fightful.com)