Report: Likelihood Of CM Punk Facing Stone Cold Steve Austin At WWE WrestleMania 39 Revealed

Following his return to the ring at WrestleMania 38 for what appeared to be one final match, it emerged this week that WWE had offered Stone Cold Steve Austin the opportunity to have another match. It has since been reported by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Austin and WWE are in talks over a WrestleMania 39 match.

Speculation has tipped CM Punk to return to WWE and face The Texas Rattlesnake at the Showcase of the Immortals, with callbacks being made to their interactions in 2011 and 2012 on WWE TV and at a press event to promote WWE '13.

According to Meltzer, though, the possibility of Punk facing Stone Cold at WrestleMania 39 is "not positive" from a creative team standpoint. They are reportedly aware what happened with Punk in AEW where relations in the locker room deteriorated to the point that the two-time AEW World Champion and Ace Steel had a backstage fight with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks after All Out. Those on the creative team know, however, that any return for Punk would be a decision made by the leadership team of Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan.

Meltzer also believes Punk would be more willing to go back to WWE than in the past "because if he wants vindication or revenge or whatever for what happened, nothing would be bigger than moving even more business elsewhere and he wouldn't go out of wrestling on a negative note."

Recent reports have noted that some in WWE do not want Punk back in the company. Punk also remains under contract with All Elite Wrestling, although he is reportedly in talks over a contract buyout and relations between the two parties have only worsened following Colt Cabana's return to TV on November 2.