CM Punk Offered $1 Million To Return To Professional Wrestling For One Tournament

CM Punk quit professional wrestling in January 2014 when he walked out on the WWE on the night following the Royal Rumble that year. He sat out his contract and then signed a deal to fight for the UFC in a match he lost. Now, The Sun reports that a professional wrestling company in the United Kingdom wants to lure CM Punk out of retirement, and they have offered him $1 million to come and compete in a 128-man tournament that will kick off next month.

The promotion is called 5 Star Wrestling, and the news comes straight from the promoter of the company Daniel Hinkles. According to Hinkles, he has been trying to get the offer to CM Punk through friends in the industry and by trying to contact him through other means about the wrestling tournament.

“I’ve gone through his website and sent dozens of emails but the opportunity has never been this big. We want to offer CM Punk $1 million dollars (£770,000) to come and join the 5 Star Wrestling tour starting June 10th.”

Hinkles also said that the CM Punk contract offer is “genuine” and that they just want to hear back from Punk himself. He said that his company wants to work with him. Hinkles said that signing CM Punk to compete in the tournament would legitimize it because there isn’t anyone “more credible than CM Punk.”

The move to try to sign CM Punk, even for as much as $1 million, is a good business move. On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE insider Dave Meltzer said that there was a period where CM Punk was actually selling more merchandise in the WWE than John Cena.

That is almost unheard of in WWE. Recently, Forbes reported that the WWE is touting Roman Reigns as their number one merchandise seller for “full-time stars.” That designation was put in place to claim Roman Reigns sells more than anyone else in the WWE, but he still sells much merchandise less than John Cena, who the WWE moved to the designation of “part-time star” to make the new claim.

CM Punk, at the time he surpassed John Cena in merchandise sales, did it legitimately as a full-time star alongside Cena. Outside of CM Punk, no one has come close to John Cena, except possibly Daniel Bryan and now Roman Reigns.

Daniel Hinkles said that he is reaching out to sign CM Punk for the monster contract because that is what the fans of his promotion want. He said that he asked who they wanted to see in the tournament, and CM Punk was on “everybody’s wish list.” Hinkles also said that he knows CM Punk is focused on MMA right now but hopes the $1 million offer will at least make him consider it.

“We all know that if he ever comes back to wrestling it will be one of those epic moments – I want that to be with 5 Star Wrestling, right here in the UK. A common saying in the wrestling world is that the UK has the best fans, well how about we give them the biggest moments too.”

After CM Punk left the WWE, he started working on passion projects that he had always dreamed about. He wrote some comic books for Marvel Comics – specifically one about Guardians of the Galaxy member Drax – something Batista said he read while taking on the role of Drax in the Marvel movies.

CM Punk also got his chance to fight in the UFC, although that did not work out well. He lost to Mickey Gall in just 2:14 after submitting to a rear naked choke hold. CM Punk said he wants to train more and return, but UFC President Dana White has said it is unlikely to happen. White did add that he would talk to Punk about it.

The 5 Star Wrestling tournament begins in Liverpool on June 10. John Morrison, Rey Mysterio Jr, Carlito, Magnus, and more have been advertised as taking part in the 128-man tournament. CM Punk would surely be the biggest name in the event if he took the $1 million offer.

[Featured Image by WWE]