5 Intriguing Opponents For CM Punk Upon His WWE Return

If there's anyone who will hold true to their word of never going back to WWE, it's probably going to be CM Punk. However, most people are expecting/hoping that he'll make his comeback someday, simply because everyone always goes back to Vince McMahon in the end.

As of this writing, it's unclear if Punk, who is 0-2 as pro mixed martial artist, will continue his MMA career, and if he does it probably won't be in the UFC, as he'll likely be released and allowed to go to a place like Bellator MMA.

The talent roster in WWE is a lot different than it was back when Punk left in 2014, as it's a lot deeper, and it features a lot of guys that Punk has a history with on the independent scene. So, if/when Punk does come back, he'll have a ton of intriguing opponents waiting for him.

Opponents such as...

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5 - Kurt Angle

Rumor has it that current Raw general manager Kurt Angle is gearing up for an in-ring return, as he might start wrestling on a more regular basis in 2018. If that does end up being the case, then he'd be a great opponent for CM Punk if the ex-WWE Champion decides to make a comeback next year.

Kurt Angle left WWE back in 2006, which was right about the same time that CM Punk made his debut on the WWE version of ECW, so the two never ended up having a one-on-one match with one another.

Being able to work with a legit Olympic gold medalist who is considered to be one of the best technical wrestlers in WWE history would definitely motivate Punk, especially if they were booked in a submission or an "I Quit" match.

4 - Shinsuke Nakamura

For those who don't know, Shinsuke Nakamura does have a legitimate mixed martial arts background, as he was a fighter in Japan before he became a pro wrestler. Of course, I don't think WWE could sell a Punk vs. Nakamura match on the fact that the two have MMA backgrounds simply because Punk has never won an MMA fight, so the fans probably wouldn't buy into it.

However, the two could implement a ton of MMA stuff into their match, which would probably make for an incredible in-ring performance.

Also, Punk and Nakamura never faced off against one another outside of WWE, so it'd be a brand new match, which is definitely something rare, especially in WWE.

3 - Kevin Owens

In my opinion, Kevin Owens is by far the best promo in WWE right now, and also in my opinion, CM Punk was by far the best promo in the company during his run there, so a feud between the two would not only be great in the ring, but it'd feature some pretty incredible mic work as well.

Both Punk and Owens spent quite a bit of time on the independent scene prior to their respective arrivals in WWE, so they both have a ton of experience doing different match types, and if the company would allow them to have total creative freedom in their match, they'd probably end up having one of the best matches in recent memory.

Sadly though, WWE likes to have control of absolutely everything, so the feud between the two wouldn't be as good as it could be, but it'd probably still end up being pretty good.

2 - Triple H

If he wasn't in his 70s, I would've put Vince McMahon in this spot instead of Triple H, although they'd both be pretty great feuds if Punk did come back to the company. But, the good news is, WWE could use Vince McMahon in a feud between CM Punk and Triple H if the former WWE Champion ever does return.

Punk and Triple H have worked together in the past, and even though WWE clearly made the wrong call by having "The Game" pick up the victory over their hottest star at the time, the overall feud was pretty good simply because it featured a lot of "real" moments.

Now that the heat between the two is pretty well-documented, a feud between them must happen if Punk comes back, as it would definitely bring out a lot more "real" moments, and it'd probably be a good match in the ring.

1 - AJ Styles

As you can see in the video above, AJ Styles and CM Punk have wrestled each other before in Ring of Honor, so a match between the two wouldn't exactly be anything new. However, the two have obviously gotten a lot better since their match in ROH, and of the potential opponents for Punk upon his return, I think AJ Styles could give him the best match.

A unique way to put these two against each other, in my opinion, would be to book them in an Iron Man match. Sure, these matches typically don't do well in WWE just because the audience won't pay attention until the last 10 minutes or so, but Punk and AJ are both so great that they could probably hold the crowd's attention for the full 60 minutes.

Another idea is a submission match, where it could be the Calf Crusher vs. the Anaconda Vice.