As a man who prides himself on "choking on greatness rather than starving on mediocrity," CM Punk's gamble on returning to the squared circle did not come easy for him. Afraid of how fans would react both times, fear set in on whether he could recapture that same captivation that left fans of the past hanging on his every word. But the high risks came with thunderous rewards, with cheers pouring out from the hometown crowd both times. That feeling of discomfort is what Punk says keeps him motivated and alive today. 

"Coming back, there's a level of imposter syndrome that I think I've always dealt with. Because as much as I've always been that guy that shuts out the negative voices, those voices are still there," Punk mentioned. "After not doing something for seven years and famously having this very public ugly breakup with the company [WWE] ... it's like the thought is, 'Do the people ... are the people going to care? Are they going to remember me?' I thrive in being uncomfortable, and in that moment, I was so uncomfortable because I was so uncertain, and I loved it. I never felt more alive."

Despite tricep tears that put him on the injured reserve twice within two years, both in AEW and WWE, Punk has returned more vigorously than ever. Since his second run in WWE, Punk has been entangled in a nearly year-long deadly feud with Drew McIntyre, which concluded at the Bad Blood Premium Live Event in a Hell in a Cell match.