CM Punk is getting set for his second appearance in the UFC when he takes on Mike Jackson Saturday night at UFC 225, but there are some pro wrestling fans out there who also believe he may be getting set for a return to the ring at some point. Punk doing his best to shut down those talks is where we begin our look at some of the biggest WWE headlines making the rounds for Friday, June 8.

CM Punk shuts down wrestling return

Leading up to his return to the Octagon, Punk sat down with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting this Wednesday where his comments led some to believe a return to pro wrestling may be in the cards some day. On Thursday, he clarified those remarks and probably made some wrestling fans sad in the process. Speaking with Aaron Bronsteter of TSN, Punk bluntly stated that he's "done with professional wrestling."

While a return to WWE is very unlikely given the heavily strained relationship between the two sides, many have speculated that Punk could possibly make a return to Ring of Honor, or maybe even appear for a promotion such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling that continues to pick up steam. The most common theory, though, is that Punk will return to the pro wrestling world for the first time in over four years this September at the All In independent super show in Chicago being presented by friends The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes. These comments from Punk seem to debunk all of those theories, though. 

The fact is, we won't know much about Punk's future until we see the outcome of his fight on Saturday. Should he emerge on the losing end again, then his MMA venture is more than likely over. Then we can all speculate about a return to the wrestling ring for the former WWE champion. 

Big fan of WWE? Subscribe to our podcast -- In This Corner with Brian Campbell -- where we go in depth on everything you need to know in WWE each week.

More WWE news, rumors

  • Rey Mysterio sat down with ESPN ahead of his appearance for NJPW at the Dominion show. In the interview, Mysterio revealed that talks with WWE are back and forth, but he's sticking to his guns on only working a part-time schedule. The former world heavyweight champion also said that he's willing to work for New Japan again in the future. Mysterio will team with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin "Thunder" Liger to take on the Bullet Club team of Cody, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll. 
  • Ronda Rousey continues to experience her firsts as a WWE superstar, and this fall, she'll get to check another one off the list. WWE.com announced on Friday that Rousey will be joining the European tour this November, and on Nov. 3-4, she'll make her debut for the company in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, respectively. The release also announced that Rousey would be appearing in Italy as part of the tour.
  • Adam Cole (BAYBAY!) is returning to the independent scene. On Friday, the NXT Twitter account revealed that the first North American champion in history will be defending his title on the EVOLVE card set to take place on June 24. Triple H has a close relationship with the EVOLVE promotion, and as of this time, no opponent has been announced for the leader of the Undisputed Era. 
  • As WWE continues to build the United Kingdom brand, on Thursday, they announced that legendary British wrestler Johnny Saint will serve as general manager. Since the inaugural UK Championship Tournament in January 2017, rumors have swirled in regards to the British roster getting its own show on the WWE Network. The appointment of Saint as GM may be a hint that the show could be in the near future.