Biggest Opponents CM Punk Missed Out On During His WWE Absence

CM Punk walked out on WWE at the start of 2014, kickstarting what would become a near decade-long absence from the promotion. He made his return to the ring in AEW, battling notable names in Jon Moxley, MJF, Adam Page, Eddie Kingston and more during his spell, though his time in the company delayed further his eventual WWE comeback.

With Punk being gone for nearly a decade, there were several possible matchups that he ultimately missed out on. Whether it be dream matches with returning legends, big clashes that fans would’ve liked seeing, or something, Punk missed out on some big opponents during his absence.

6

Bray Wyatt

• Punk & Wyatt wrestled in tag team action.
• They never had a singles match in WWE before Punk’s exit.
• Wyatt tragically passed away in 2023.

CM Punk and Bray Wyatt did briefly cross paths, feuding at the back end of 2013 which saw Punk team with Daniel Bryan to take on the Wyatt Family. However, Punk quickly moved away to feud with The Shield, never battling Wyatt in singles action.

Given that Wyatt feuded with every big star in WWE including the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Daniel Bryan, Goldberg, and many others, it is a no-brainer that Punk & Wyatt would have crossed paths. When Punk did return to WWE, Wyatt had tragically passed away.

5

Goldberg

• Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016.
• CM Punk vs. Goldberg would’ve been a bizarre match.
• Goldberg wrestled once after CM Punk’s WWE return.

Goldberg & CM Punk are two men that feel completely worlds apart from one another within the landscape of professional wrestling, but a match between the pair would’ve been one that created headlines and generated interest, even if it was based upon uncertainty.

Goldberg made his WWE return in 2016, nearly three years after Punk’s exit, and upon Punk’s return in 2023, Goldberg was all but done. He made a brief return in 2025 to wrestle his retirement match against Gunther, but ultimately he and Punk never crossed paths.

4

Shane McMahon

• CM Punk spoke out against the McMahon family on WWE programming.
• Punk & Shane McMahon failed to meet in WWE.
• Punk’s return came after McMahon’s heavy WWE presence.

Shane McMahon did wrestle sporadically in the late 2000s when CM Punk was experiencing his rise in WWE, but the two did not cross paths. When Punk was running down the McMahon family in promos in 2011, his scorn was directed towards Vince, Stephanie, and Triple H, with Shane McMahon not in the picture in WWE at the time.

McMahon was used as a part-time draw in the late 2010s, facing big stars such as Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, The Undertaker and others, but since Punk’s return to WWE, McMahon has not been seen at all. This would have been the sort of match seen by Vince McMahon as a major attraction, but it never ended up happening.

3

Kurt Angle

• Angle returned to WWE in 2017.
• He wrestled a handful of matches in WWE before his eventual retirement.
• Punk vs. Angle is a dream match that never happened.

Just as CM Punk was climbing the ranks in WWE in the mid-to-late 2000s, the legendary Kurt Angle made his exit and headed over to TNA, completely missing out on facing a young Punk.

Angle would return to WWE in 2017 in an authority figure role, but he did step foot into the ring here and there to take on names like Triple H, Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe, among others. Punk was deep into his hiatus from professional wrestling at the time, meaning that a match with Angle never ended up happening.

2

KENTA

• KENTA competed as Hideo Itami in WWE.
• Both KENTA & Punk use the GTS.
• KENTA left WWE before Punk returned to the promotion.

In 2014, KENTA signed in WWE with a lot of buzz, and while his star power would diminish greatly in the company, it didn’t stop fans from daydreaming about a battle between him and CM Punk, especially since KENTA was the man who created the GTS finishing move.

KENTA’s use of the GTS was kept sporadic for several years due to the association it had with Punk (and with the tendency of fans to chant his name). It would have been an easy story to tell had Punk been in WWE at the time, and it could have been something that firmly elevated KENTA out of the cruiserweight division.

1

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin

• Punk vs. Austin is a dream match for many fans.
• WWE teased a showdown between the pair back in 2011.
• Austin returned for one match in 2022.

CM Punk vs. Steve Austin is a dream match on the minds of fans for well over a decade at this point, with many wanting to see two of the biggest anti-authority stars go at it on the mic and in the ring. Despite the match being teased, it ultimately never happened… but there is a world in which it was possible.

In 2022, Steve Austin returned to wrestle for one time only against Kevin Owens in a super fun main event at WrestleMania 38… at which time CM Punk was wrestling in AEW. Had Punk been in WWE at the time, there is no way that this dream match would not have been booked in the headline spot at the show. Unfortunately for Punk, Austin has not returned for another match, and with him now at 61 years of age, it may be out of the question.