When Shawn Michaels famously announced that he would happily take CM Punk as a member of his NXT roster, fans thought he was joking.

Sure, of course, Punker would be a fantastic addition to WWE's Tuesday night offering, as he'd likely help to elevate the weekly rating in a way that would help out both the USA Network now and The CW next year to a pretty staggering degree but why would Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Nick Khan put arguably the biggest free agent get of the decade on its developmental brand instead of on RAW or SmackDown, where a star of his caliber usually belongs?

Well, as it turns out, Punk might actually show up in Orlando after all, as after signing a deal with The Fed ahead of Survivor Series, a deal very few people saw coming, the “Best in the World” is now a full-fledged member of the WWE Universe and thus could be assigned to work wherever makes the most sense at the time, as fans learned from the Undertaker's recent appearance on NXT.

Discussing Punk's surprise return to WWE in an interview with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Shawn, HBK celebrated the move, comparing the “Best in the World” to a certain “Heartbreak Kid” who wasn't always the most popular member of the locker room either.

“Like everybody else; happy, thrilled, Holy Cow. I got asked a couple months ago, ‘If you had a chance to use him, would you?' Yeah, who wouldn't? I understand business. I wasn't always the most popular guy with people, but I was really good at my job. I feel like that's one of the reasons I've had one here in the WWE for almost 40 years. I'm dependable and I'm good at my job. If you are that, there is always an opportunity here if you want one,” Shawn Michaels said via Fightful.

“I'm happy for him, I'm happy for the company. I'm happy for the WWE fanbase, the WWE Universe. Stories like this are always fantastic, even if they're controversial, that's part of what makes them fantastic. There are times, I don't always know what's going on. Truth be told, I don't think sometimes they know what's going on. Unpredictability is just that, unpredictable. That's what makes this job so fantastic and so unique. That's why we've continued to thrive for 40-plus years.”

Whoa, Shawn Michaels comparing CM Punk, a noted Bret Hart guy, to the “Heartbreak Kid?” Goodness, don't let Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR find out, as they are firmly students of the Hart Foundation. Still, in the grand scheme of thing, when outside perception and internal dysfunction is taken into account, it's hard not to see a pretty decent comp, even if, in the grand scheme of professional wrestling, no one will ever be CM Punk except for CM Punk as his career is truly one of a kind.

Shawn Michaels explains how CM Punk can re-assimilate into WWE.

Discussing CM Punk's return further with Peter Rosenberg, Shawn Michaels was asked how he felt the “Second City Saint” could transition back into the WWR Universe after almost a decade away.

While Michaels admits that it might be weird initially to return to the locker room, especially considering he isn't on the best terms with everyone, he believes that the awkwardness should subside in no time if he buys in to the system.

“Early on, it's uncomfortable. After a while, you get used to it. Everybody would prefer to be liked. Second-guessing is always going to on in this line of work. It is impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. In any line of work and any walk of life, anyone can say, ‘I like this guy, and I get along with him,' and they're talking about him two minutes later. That goes for everyone, even the most liked individuals,” HBK noted.

“He's been doing this for a long time. I've always liked Phil and I always understood the… heaven forbid you have a different opinion. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me. At one time, it did, and I didn't have the maturity to accept and respect other's opinions if they didn't agree with mine. At one point, it might have bothered him. I would imagine he's accepted it as a reality and is good with that.”

Is Mr. Michaels on the money? Will CM Punk accept his spot in the WWE Universe and become a mentor to the young Superstars on the rise? Or will he inevitably fall into his old bad habit and get thrown out of WWE just like he was from AEW? Fans will have to keep tuning in each week to find out, as any WWE show with CM Punk on the format has to be considered must-watch for the foreseeable future.