Few wrestling personalities are as controversial or divisive as CM Punk and Eric Bischoff. Each represents a different era of wrestling, one born out of rebellion and breaking rules and the other a testament to business acumen and strategic plays. As Punk gears up for his return to All Elite Wrestling's highly-anticipated first episode of Collision, former WCW Executive and WWE personality Eric Bischoff has added fuel to the fire with his opinion of Punk’s star power.

On the latest episode of the Strictly Business podcast, Bischoff vehemently expressed his thoughts on Punk and his drawing power, or, to be more accurate, the lack thereof.

According to Bischoff, Punk's grand re-entry to the wrestling ring might not have the impact everyone expects. He points to the rumored lackluster ticket sales for All In in London and AEW's Collision shows post-premiere in Chicago as a harbinger of what's to come. "CM Punk has set himself up for just a dramatic failure," Bischoff stated, referring to the early reactions Punk received when the AEW announced the Collision premiere.

The concern is, if this venture flops, it might adversely impact Punk's career to an irrevocable extent.

Bischoff credits Punk for maintaining a certain mystique around himself, but that admiration seems to end there. Once in the wrestling arena, Punk’s performance hasn’t lived up to the hype, according to the former WCW Executive. He notes that the audience has grown tired of Punk's act, resulting in a substantial diminution of his once "rabid" fan base. Bischoff even went on to suggest that AEW's founder, Tony Khan, should avoid taking Punk to the UK to prove that the promotion can sell 70,000 tickets without him.

The stakes are high for Punk, and a lot rests on his return to the AEW ring. If his run does not turn out successful, given the amount of hype and accommodation that has been provided to him for his return, it might impact his future hirability.

Bischoff's vehement criticism of Punk isn’t anything new. And, while this might seem harsh, Bischoff backs his claims when he compared its sales before and after Punk’s announcement for All In in London and the AEW Collision shows. According to him, the incremental ticket sales are not significant enough to justify Punk's alleged star power. Furthermore, Bischoff believes he is being "proven right every minute of the day" regarding his perspective on Punk.

With AEW Collision looming, it remains to be seen if Punk's return will lead to a massive surge in ticket sales and prove Bischoff wrong, or confirm his assertions. Regardless, the wrestling world will be watching, and the outcome could have a lasting impact on Punk's career.

But, hey, if CM Punk's AEW return doesn't pan out, word has it that Triple H is open to working with him again although the rest of the WWE isn't too keen on it.