CM Punk is once again at the forefront of the wrestling rumor mill, this time for his desire to stay with WWE "forever."

The Chicago native will return to the squared circle to face Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam, with Seth "Freakin" Rollins as the special guest referee, and he hopes it is one of many more matches with the company.

Dive deeper into that report and more with this collection of rumors and innuendo from around the wrestling world, also including the latest on Bobby Lashley's WWE deal, the potential return of one of the bright young competitors in WWE's women's division, and an update on a House of Black member's contract with AEW.

CM Punk Looking to Restructure His Deal

Despite a torn triceps that sidelined him since January, CM Punk's return to WWE has been a successful one. The fans have embraced him, multiple Superstars have expressed pleasure in working with him, and the product has heated up more than it already is when he walks through the curtain.

According to Ibou from Wrestling Purists, if Punk has his way, that will continue well into the future.

The insider reported that Punk hopes to extend his contract with the company and, hopefully, take on a new task when the time calls for it.

"Basically, he wants this to work out, he wants to get paid, and then he wants, when it's time to slow it down, to slow it down and just run NXT," he said (h/t Cageside Seats for the transcription).

Punk has been a presence in NXT since his return to the company and Shawn Michaels spoke highly of what the former WWE champion has brought to the brand.

"He's been really good, it's a pleasure to have him. He brings something different to the table than other people. That's what we want. We have diversity here. No one idea has to be the right idea. Many different ways, especially in this line of work, to creatively get us where we want. Anytime somebody wants to help, I say we give them a shot."

Assuming everything stays as is, and the relationship between performer and company remains as strong as it has been thus far into the Chicago native's return, there is not reason for the promotion not to want to keep Punk around and benefit both from his star power and willingness to help get the next generation of WWE Superstars ready to thrive at the next level.

Bobby Lashley Update

Bobby Lashley is expected to test the free-agent market once his contract with WWE is up, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported.

Johnson also reported that the company made The All-Mighty an offer but not one that made the former world champion jump and immediately decide to re-sign.

Lashley is one of the most decorated stars of the last five years, a two-time WWE Champion with a bond with the WWE Universe that does not come along every day. After a disastrous start to his return, Lashley rose to the top of the promotion as a member of The Hurt Business and ultimately achieved the one goal he set for himself: winning the WWE title.

His work with the Hurt Business was the best of his career and helped establish him as the main-event attraction in WWE.

Despite the connection with fans and strong in-ring game, he struggled to find traction under Triple H in this new era of WWE, so it is not exactly surprising that he might feel inclined to check out the market and see what is available to him.

Could there be a reunion of Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP in All Elite Wrestling or New Japan Pro-Wrestling? Perhaps, but as they say, never say never. It is not completely out of the equation that Lashley re-signs with WWE, despite reports that he had been removed from the company's internal roster.

Latest on Raquel Rodriguez's Return

Johnson also reported that Raquel Rodriguez is set to return to action shortly for WWE.

Fans have not seen the second-generation star in the ring since the end of February when she defeated Chelsea Green on an episode of Monday Night Raw.

Rodriguez was diagnosed earlier this year with Mast cell activation syndrome, a condition in which Mast cells are responsible for immediate allergic reactions, which was the case when the competitor experienced a flare-up earlier in the year.

Rodriguez is a gifted athlete who is one of the few women on the roster who can stand across the ring from Rhea Ripley and present her with a legitimate, physical challenge. She has been in that position before, has won tag team championship gold, and was well on her way to being a legitimate breakout star for the company.

There is no reason to believe she will not get there again.

If there is one thing that WWE could work on, it is letting her express herself more by giving her a character or on-screen persona that fans can invest in. To this point, she has been the smiling, back muscle-flexing babyface that has not given fans much of a reason to care outside of her strength and in-ring aggression.

If that can change, her health holds up, and the audience can genuinely get behind her, the sky is the limit for Rodriguez.

Buddy Matthews Re-Signs With AEW

The busy Ibou also reported that Buddy Murphy has re-signed with All Elite Wrestling.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select confirmed the report and added:

"The claim internally from AEW was that Matthews' deal would have needed to be extended quite a while back, which is something that Ibou alluded to. It was not specified to Fightful if this was a new contract, or option years being picked up. At one point there was internal discussion that AEW did have option years on Matthews. Those that we spoke to believe that whether he was re-signed or option years picked up, it would have been decided a while back."

Murphy, one-third of The House of Black, maybe the most underrated professional wrestler on the planet. He is an incredible athlete, has impeccable in-ring timing, and has proven the ability to have a great match with any wrestler, of any style or background.

He elevated the cruiserweight division in WWE, gave Roman Reigns a hell of a match at a time when the Big Dog needed it pre-Tribal Chief and Bloodline, and has continued to prove his value in AEW.

Matches with Adam Copeland, Darby Allin, and Andrade El Idolo have stolen more than one show.

Locking him in is the right call and will only further help solidify the company's tagline of "where the best wrestle."