CM Punk will not be All In. But not because Cody and the Young Bucks didn't try.
In an interview with Wrestling Inc, Cody Rhodes revealed that he reached out to the former WWE Champion, but not much came from the talk.
"Matt [Jackson] actually made a full offer or full pitch for his services and I think Punk is focused on the Mixed Martial Arts element of his career. One of the reasons we didn't first come out and say, 'here's who we want you to wrestle,' because I think we just wanted him to be a part of the event for a lot of fans, he's captured their imagination even with the amount of time he's been gone. He has a mythical presence to them. I thought it would be good for him to connect with them, but that's me, you know?"
Rumors surrounding Punk and his involvement with All In started up the moment Cody and Company announced Chicago as the venue. Punk, a Chicago resident, recently competed at UFC 225 in his hometown. The self-proclaimed Voice of the Voiceless was not been involved with wrestling since leaving WWE in 2014.
While Punk's inclusion would have generated extra buzz, Cody went on to say that the purpose of the event is to highlight the current state of the Independent scene.
"I always looked at All In with the perspective that it's about the present and future of the industry and not really about cheap pops, even though I'm sure they'll be plenty of those on the show."
Punk is currently tied in in another legal situation after being sued by Colt Cabana over legal fees stemming from the recent trial against WWE doctor Chris Amann.
All In is set for Sept. 1 from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Fightful will provide live coverage of the event.
