WWE Hall of Famer Booker T wasn’t impressed by the promo CM Punk cut in his AEW debut.
Punk had been heavily teased for the second episode of Rampage and AEW delivered. Punk made his entrance inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. It instantly became a classic moment with one of the loudest crowd pops ever witnessed. For many, it reminded them of the Attitude Era days when the glass would shatter and Stone Cold would make his way out.
Punk’s return has been praised throughout the wrestling world but Booker T has a different take. During his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he feels Punk wasted his promo time going after WWE.
“CM Punk came back and he had 10 full television minutes to go out there and make his point as far as CM Punk being back. He had the perfect crowd to be able to go out there and really, I’m talking about have a party up in that United Center. But CM Punk came back and took his moment and chose to talk about WWE. That right there was just a total miss as far as I’m concerned [he] struck out. I can only imagine if The Rock had that same 21,000 in Miami, Florida. The Rock would have talked about every landmark in Miami and that everybody in Miami frequented…he would have had those fans going crazy with excitement but CM Punk chose to talk about the WWE and that 9 minutes went back so slow when it could have been a party going on in the United Center.
“I’m saying from a perspective to where I’m making my comeback and I’m thinking about the other side, that’s totally a place that I wouldn’t even be going. As well as you talk about how the moment started out on a rise and after the music stopped playing, the rise just started going down. It never came back up. That’s a moment for you? I get it, I understand that but my point is the moment, once the bell rings and the bell rings after the music stops as far as I’m concerned and I just don’t think CM Punk delivered the way he could have as far as a promo goes because I didn’t feel the promo. I felt like a guy talking about WWE and when you’re talking about the other side, only thing you’re doing is giving those guys airtime. Of course, I know the AEW crowd will eat that up but for me as a professional, that’s the last thing that I’m gonna be thinking about is the other side. I’m gonna be thinking about the here and the now. Like I said, I could be wrong but I just think he missed a moment there in front of his hometown [with] over 20,000 people…”
CM Punk will get more mic time on Dynamite this Wednesday (Aug. 25). His first match with the promotion is scheduled to take place on Sept. 5. It’ll be a part of the All Out PPV inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
While Booker T’s main gripe with Punk’s promo was on the WWE talk, it’s important to note that the former WWE Champion did put over Darby Allin on the mic. Punk mentioned Darby’s toughness and his thirst for danger. The two will meet at All Out.
