The Chicago native hasn't been seen in the ring since the Royal Rumble in 2014 but showed up under a mask at MKE Wrestling’s event in Wisconsin to hit his iconic special move
CM PUNK has made a shock return to professional wrestling after the WWE legend appeared under a mask at small hall indie show to perform his iconic GTS finisher.
The 40-year-old left Vince McMahon's company in 2014 amid a bitter row with management before unsuccessfully failing to make an impact in the UFC.
Punk, real name Phil Brooks, then surprised fans by making an unadvertised appearance at MKE Wrestling’s event in Wisconsin despite his supposed retirement.
The former MMA star interfered during the Ace Steel vs. Daryck St. Holmes match, to perform his famous GTS on the latter before quickly exiting the building.
Although Punk has not officially verified that it was him, he is longtime friends with Steel and wore the same hoodie he was pictured in earlier in the day at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament.
It was then revealed that the original plan for the WWE legend was to unmask and reveal his identity to the 350-person crowd but this changed for unknown reasons.
reports that this is actually not the first time that Punk has appeared at a wrestling event since his official final match in the Royal Rumble in 2014.
The Best in the World supposedly showed up at a Freelance Wrestling event in December 2015 wearing a cloak where he was referred to as a “nameless mentor.”
All Elite Wrestling previously tried to tempt Punk back into the ring earlier this year after his unsuccessful stint as a UFC fighter.
He lost by submission on his MMA debut to Mickey Gall back in 2016 but not to be deterred, the former WWE champion made another attempt to crack in the cage.
However, he lost via unanimous decision after suffering a brutal beating at the hands of Mike Jackson at UFC 225 last June in his hometown.
UFC president Dana White said after that loss Punk would probably not fight for the organisation again.
With tensions still high with WWE brass, Punk then signed a deal with Cage Fury Fighting Championships, a UFC affiliate, as a commentator – covering his first event in December.
That appeared to mark the end of his competitive career as he looked to be taking a break from the fight game.
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