Professional wrestler CM Punk has made a shock return to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the company he left in acrimonious circumstances nearly a decade ago in 2014.

At the very end of the Survivor Series event on the morning of Nov. 26 (Singapore time), Punk appeared in a jaw-dropping moment that quickly went viral worldwide.

NEVER. SAY. NEVER.@CMPunk has just returned to WWE at #SurvivorSeries!!! pic.twitter.com/0dpG6vyT5r

— WWE (@WWE) November 26, 2023

Who is CM Punk?

Indy star and ROH: "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled..."

Punk, real name Phillip Brooks, made his name on the independent wrestling scene in the U.S. before garnering national attention in Total Nonstop Action and Ring of Honor (ROH), the latter a smaller promotion overshadowed by the giant WWE, but nevertheless, popular with fans looking for an alternative.

Punk engaged in many memorable feuds in his time with Ring of Honor, battling the likes of Raven and Samoa Joe and becoming ROH champion, before signing with the WWE in 2005 and moving to their developmental territory.

Straight Edge Society: "Your arms are too short to box with God"

In 2006, Punk moved up to the WWE's main roster, portraying a "straight edge" gimmick, i.e. someone who doesn't drink or do drugs, based on his real-life beliefs.

Punk found more success in the WWE, becoming ECW champion, and then the World Heavyweight champion, feuding with stars like Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio Jr and the Undertaker.

Despite this, general fan sentiment held that Punk was not being treated as the top star in the company, overlooked in favour of more mainstream stars like John Cena.

The WWE would use this for a storyline in 2011, with Punk feuding with Cena and threatening to leave the company after taking his WWE championship.

Departure from WWE: "I didn't quit, I was fired."

"The Summer of Punk", as this period is known, represented his high point in the company.

But in 2014, Punk and the WWE parted ways.

Punk publicly made a number of allegations, including that he received his firing papers on his wedding day (to fellow wrestler AJ Lee) and that he received supposedly received medically-negligent treatment.

The latter embroiled him in a lawsuit with the WWE's doctor, which was concluded in 2018.

In his time away from wrestling, Punk tried his hand at acting, mixed martial arts in the UFC, where he was beaten twice, and comic-book writing.

Return to wrestling with AEW

In 2021, Punk made a surprise return to the world of professional wrestling, signing with a new company, All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

AEW was started in 2019 by Tony Khan, son of billionaire Shad Khan, and signed a number of WWE wrestlers looking to jump ship, like Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose).

Punk's return was one of the most highly-anticipated moments in AEW's short history, with a new t-shirt designed for his debut quickly setting a merchandise record for numbers sold.

Brawl Out and departure

Despite this fresh start, Punk fell out with members of the AEW roster, culminating in a bizarre press conference after AEW's "All Out" event in September 2022, where he got into a backstage brawl with fellow wrestlers Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

This led to suspensions, and when Punk re-appeared on AEW shows, he was kept away from the wrestlers he quarrelled with.

Punk would then be fired from AEW after the "All In" show at Wembley Stadium in August 2023, after a physical altercation with another wrestler and Khan himself.

Cold day in hell

With Punk now a free agent, rumours began flying that he would make a return to the WWE.

However, few fans lent the rumours any credence until Punk's signature "Cult of Personality" entrance theme hit the speakers at the end of the Survivor Series event, held in his hometown of Chicago.

Wrestling journalists credited Triple H, the new booker of the WWE after Vince McMahon stepped down from the position, with making the deal come together.

A sight that many fans thought they would never see, given Punk's previous animosity towards Triple H, but one which demonstrates the "never say never" principle in pro wrestling.

Mighty cold day in hell. #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/1Z0KZ2LwCb

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 26, 2023

Top image from Triple H / X.