'Stone Cold' Steve Austin believes that CM Punk will return to WWE sooner rather than later.
Punk has established himself as one of the league's biggest stars over the last couple of years, but has been absent from events since the day after the Royal Rumble last month.
However, Austin, who is widely regarded as one of the most popular wrestlers of all time, has tipped the 'Straight Edge Superstar' to come back.
He told the Ross Report podcast: "Right off the top of my head, he'll be back. He loves the business but sometimes being a guy on the road you get fed up.
"He's burned out, he's worn out mentally. Maybe sometimes you don't get the direction you're going in and you feel like you're beating your head against a wall.
"He wants to get back into the business and complete his contractual obligations [or risk losing money]."
Hall of Famer Austin is a six-time WWE champion.
Paul Gorst
