The wrestling world has been thrown into chaos by the sudden termination of CM Punk from AEW following an investigation into incidents that occurred during All In in London last month. AEW’s Tony Khan reluctantly made the decision, citing concerns for Punk’s safety and the safety of others within the promotion.

Reports from Fightfulselect.com suggest that while Punk’s termination was indeed with cause, it remains unclear whether he has a non-compete clause or will receive severance pay over time, both of which could restrict him from appearing in other wrestling promotions. Conversely, PWInsider.com’s report seemed to imply that Punk might be free to compete elsewhere immediately, leading to speculation about a possible return to WWE.

However, it’s worth noting that Punk still reportedly has “major heat” with several top names within WWE. He was even asked to leave the backstage area earlier this year when he showed up at a WWE event. While there are no concrete expectations or plans for Punk to join WWE, most people discussing the topic weren’t anticipating his termination from AEW either.

For Punk’s part, he had openly expressed his dissatisfaction with his situation in AEW on multiple occasions, including recent statements like “hating this place” before the debut of Collision and his desire to quit after his match with Jack Perry. Punk was originally scheduled to face Ricky Starks in a strap match at tonight’s All Out event, but AEW has since changed plans, bringing back Bryan Danielson as a surprise replacement. The wrestling world will undoubtedly continue to watch closely to see what CM Punk’s next move in the industry will be.