While CM Punk only made his official return to pro wrestling last Friday during AEW Rampage, he knew in his mind that he will be coming back long before that.
The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Variety to promote the pro wrestling drama series Heels. He talked about his character on the show and more.
Punk also talked about his return to wrestling. He admitted that he had some idea about making his AEW debut while shooting the show in late 2020 and early 2021:
“It wasn’t 100%, but I knew that’s what I was doing, if that makes sense. It was just fortuitous, I guess. Here I am in a wrestling ring for this acting gig and I know, in the back of my head,
I’m getting back into the ring in a few months anyway, so I figured it was two birds one stone. I got a little out of camp training.”
CM Punk had been away from wrestling for more than 7 years after quitting WWE in 2014. He finally made his return during the second episode of AEW Rampage.
Heels airs on the Starz network on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. This week’s episode of the show will feature the debut of Punk’s character named Ricky Rabies.
The viewership numbers for CM Punk’s first appearance on AEW Dynamite have been revealed.
The wrestling world is still buzzing after Punk made his return. The self-proclaimed, “Best in the World” made his AEW debut on the Aug. 20 edition of Rampage. His entrance alone has become an instant classic as he received a thunderous ovation from the crowd inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
That episode of Rampage garnered an average viewership total of 1.1 million. Punk’s segment drew 1.3 million viewers. Many were impressed by the numbers as Rampage airs on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET, which isn’t exactly an ideal night or timeslot.
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reports that the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite took in 1,172,000 viewers. On top of that, it scored a 0.48 rating in the 18-49 demo. This is the promotion’s second-highest rating in that demo for Dynamite since the debut episode back in Oct. 2019.
AEW Dynamite last night on TNT was watched by 1,172,000 viewers on average, the most since April 14.
620,000 viewers were aged 18 to 49 (0.48 rating), the 2nd highest ever, only short of the debut on Oct 2, 2019 (which was a 0.68).
Punk addressed his decision to make his way to AEW during Dynamite. He said it was because of the younger talent in the locker room. He said he’s targeting Darby Allin because Darby would’ve been his favorite wrestler if he was 15 years old.
Along the way, CM Punk even dropped quite the hint. The man who formerly called himself the “Voice of the Voiceless,” responded to “Yes!” chants from the crowd. Punk teased, “that’s somebody else’s shtick and you might just need to be a little more patient, ok?” Bryan Danielson has reportedly signed with AEW and is expected to make his debut on the Sept. 22 edition of Dynamite in New York City.
CM Punk will have his first wrestling match since January 2014 on Sept. 5. He’ll take on Darby Allin inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The match will be featured on the All Out PPV card.
R-Truth has called out CM Punk seemingly out of nowhere and taken massive shots at him, calling the recently-returned wrestler unimpressive and entitled. CM Punk has taken the wrestling world by storm recently by making his All Elite Wrestling debut last week on Rampage: The First Dance. While wrestling fans were delighted, both AEW and WWE stars too welcomed Punk back in the industry with open arms and many wrestling personalities chimed in to congratulate Punk on his comeback. R-Truth, however, is not really a fan of CM Punk according to a recent comment he posted online.
A video of CM Punk’s appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast from back in 2014 resurfaced on Tiktok, in which Punk discussed his time in the WWE and how he was unsatisfied with management and his overall position in the company. Punk brought up WWE’s decision to book him to lose to Triple H even though he was hot and had momentum, as well as the company’s decision to make him and Triple H lose to The Miz and R-Truth (aka Awesome Truth) back in Vengeance 2011. Punk said that these decisions didn’t make any sense business-wise. R-Truth didn’t take a liking to Punk’s comments, and sounded off in the comments of the Tiktok video with the following:
“CM Punk you lost to me an Miz cause we were HOTTER than you sorry, and I neva thought you were impressive at all, just typical entitlement (sic)”
Online, fans have been surprised by Truth’s comments with many saying that they have never seen him talk trash before about anyone else from the industry. It would be interesting to note that CM Punk helped R-Truth win against John Cena in a Tables match on Raw back in 2011, before cutting his legendary “Pipebomb” promo. It would be interesting to see if Punk has anything to say in response to Truth’s comments.
Following Dynamite last night, AEW taped this Friday’s episode of Rampage. After that, CM Punk came out and spoke to the live crowd in Milwaukee.
“It’s cool to be here,” Punk said. “It’s cool that you all came here and to stay, I know it’s late, I know sometimes these shows can be long but you sit in your seats and you’re enthusiastic and you give everybody here everything you’ve got because everybody, at least that I’ve seen so far, gives you everything that they have.”
“I just want to say that I’m super grateful and I know eventually the luster will kind of wear off,” Punk continued. “Just know that until it does wear off, I’m going to keep doing it and I’m going to keep trying to soak it in as much as I can.”
Christian Cage than got on the microphone and noted that it was a big deal that Punk was in AEW.
“It’s a big f***ing deal that you’re here,” Christian says in the video.
Twitter user @allELITExmtz posted video of Punk addressing the crowd in Milwaukee:
CM Punk has delivered a massive tease in regards to Bryan Danielson.
Punk appeared on AEW Dynamite for the first time on Aug. 25. The self-proclaimed “Best in the World” made his return to the pro wrestling industry on Aug. 20. He opened up the second episode of AEW Rampage to a thunderous ovation inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
On Dynamite, Punk explained why he felt now is the right time to step inside the AEW ring. As fans chanted “Yes!” during Punk’s promo, he dropped quite the hint.
“That’s somebody else’s shtick and you might just need to be a little more patient, ok?” The crowd erupted at the prospect of Danielson joining Punk in AEW.
To add fuel to the fire, CM Punk posted a close-up photo of a handshake on his Instagram Story late Wednesday night. Longtime fans might recognize that handshake. Zoom out and you’ll see that it’s a photo of Punk and Danielson from their days in Ring of Honor.
Bryan is reportedly locked in with AEW. It’s been said that he’ll be making his promotional debut on the Sept. 22 Dynamite show in New York City.
Bryan hasn’t been seen in action since WrestleMania 37. He was defeated in a triple threat match that involved Roman Reigns and Edge. Reigns ended up winning the match to retain the WWE Universal Championship.
When asked about the report of Bryan Danielson being signed to AEW, Tony Khan has said he can’t comment on it. It’s important to note that usually when a false rumor is made about AEW, Khan has no problem dismissing it. He had the same approach to the Punk report where he wouldn’t comment on whether or not it was true.
As CM Punk made his entrance in the United Center for The First Dance, numerous fans had an emotional reaction. Several people could be seen in the audience with tears coming down their face. The image of one fan in particular seemed to sum up just how emotional a moment it was, however.
Tommy Dreamer spoke about wanting to find the fan to give back to him as a thank you for his passion. It took a few days but Dreamer was able to get in contact with the man, who appears to just be a nice and humble guy who loves wrestling. Below is what Dreamer said on Busted Open Radio about his conversation with the fan.
“I offered to fly him to Bound For Glory, talked to Tony Khan, Tony Khan said he’ll take care of him for tickets. CM Punk, spoke to him, said he’d take care of him for a meet and greet,” Dreamer said of all the people who want to do something nice for the man.
Dreamer noted that it took a few days to reach the fan. The person is not a “social media guy” so he was harder to track down.
“What a wonderful fan,” Dreamer said of the man. “Does not want any fame, doesn’t really want anything, which is good cause I was going to fly him on my miles.”
Dreamer continued to say that things are still being arranged for the fan, however.
“I asked him to come on this show and he’s like ‘I have a job and a wife, 2 kids and I just really appreciate professional wrestling’ and he didn’t want anything. I still arranged for it to happen and good o’l Judge Jeff Jones made sure all the stuff with Tony Khan and CM Punk, it’s all going to happen for him.”
“It was really cool to hear his response and just his fandom for professional wrestling,” Dreamer continued. Dreamer also said the fan was very happy to speak to him and excited to get to meet some other wrestlers.
Unfortunately, Dreamer also mentioned that 3 different impersonators tried to hit him up for free stuff while pretending to be the fan.
Tony Khan was a guest on the Dan Le Batard & Friends podcast recently. During the discussion, he spoke about the deal he made to bring CM Punk to AEW. Khan said he feels the deal was one of the best he’s ever made.
“I believe this was one of the best deals I’ve ever done in my life and I don’t think it was really all about money,” Khan said.
Khan would continue to talk about how he and Punk got to know each other throughout the pandemic by speaking regularly on the phone. He feels the trust they built is what led to the deal being completed.
“I spent a lot of time talking to him on the phone getting to know each other better and building trust with each other. So, this was a long time coming, we’ve been talking a lot for about a year and a half.”
Le Batard then asked Khan if Punk paid for himself on his first night.
“Yeah, I do think so. In terms of what this has done for our business, I really believe as soon as we saw the results from this, before we even got started I knew this was the best deal we could have possibly done.”
Professional wrestling is an art form. You don’t create great artists by training them all to paint by numbers in the same way.
Khan also spoke about how Punk was very generous with his time backstage with wrestlers on Friday night.
“He was also really cool about going backstage and offering really, really kind advice, being very good with his time with the wrestlers.”
Khan also spoke about how the idea with The First Dance was that fans would be confident Punk would be there, but not 100% sure.
“The idea by the time the show started is that all the fans would be 99% sure CM Punk is going to be there, but that 1% doubt is what made it that much better than just advertising it,” Khan said.
The full conversation with Tony Khan can be heard in the player below:
AEW has rolled out a special look at the AEW debut of CM Punk.
Punk got the wrestling world buzzing with his return to professional wrestling. He appeared on the second episode of AEW Rampage. The show emanated from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Punk received one of the loudest ovations you will ever hear at a wrestling show.
Punk grabbed the mic and discussed making his way back to professional wrestling. He then targeted Darby Allin, who has made a name for himself in AEW. Punk said that Darby is a daredevil but there’s nothing more dangerous than facing CM Punk in Chicago. Punk will have his first match since January 2014 against Darby at All Out on Sept. 5.
Punk is set to appear on AEW Dynamite on Aug. 25 in Milwaukee. He is expected to address his decision to call out Darby Allin for his first match in over seven years.
AEW Rampage viewership totals were significantly increased from the show’s debut thanks to Punk’s appearance. The second episode of Rampage garnered 1.1 million viewers, while Punk’s segment drew 1.3 million viewers. This episode was up 53 percent in viewership from Rampage’s premiere.
CM Punk has responded to people who have mocked a fan who cried during his AEW debut.
Punk finally made his return to the wrestling industry on Aug. 20. The jam-packed United Center in Chicago, Illinois gave Punk a thunderous ovation. Emotion filled the arena as Punk appeared to be on the verge of tears and one fan in the crowd was seen on camera crying.
“I’m a Chicago guy. I’m a Chicago sports guy. I cried when the Cubs won the World Series. I cried when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, the time that I was alive when they won the Cup, not back in the sixties. You know, it means a lot. And I think it means a lot because I’m so attached to Chicago and sports especially. I understand. So anybody who’s making fun of that dude, you’re making fun of me too. There’s nothing wrong with being emotional at a sporting event or anything you like. I’ll cry at a Marvel movie.”
Punk will be in Milwaukee for AEW Dynamite on Aug. 25. He is expected to address his decision to call out Darby Allin for his first return match. Punk and Darby are scheduled to collide on Sept. 5 at the All Out PPV.
When Punk enters the ring at All Out, it’ll be his first wrestling match since the 2014 Royal Rumble. Punk’s last singles match took place on the Jan. 20, 2014 edition of Monday Night Raw. He defeated Billy Gunn, who also now works for AEW.
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.
CM Punk’s appearance on AEW The First Dance on Friday night was quite possibly the biggest moment in the young promotion’s history. According to comments Punk made to ESPN today, it was the greatest moment of his career. Emily Pratt of FanByte recently noted that Punk had two sets of initials printed on his shoes during the show. Fan theories as to what the initials could stand for are running wild.
One set of initials Punk had printed on his shoes are “A.C.” With rumors of Adam Cole signing with AEW rampant after his loss to Kyle O’Reilly at Takeover 36, some believe he is the “A.C” referenced on Punk’s shoes.
“AC” written on CM Punk’s sneaker for his AEW debut (Photo: All Elite Wrestling)
The other set of initials Punk had printed on his shoes was “C.F”. Some have suggested the initials could stand for Charlotte Flair, but other suggestions have been presented as well:
Of course, the initials could have nothing at all to do with wrestling as well.
CM Punk’s long-awaited return to pro-wrestling continues this Wednesday night. On Rampage, it was confirmed that Punk will be on this week’s AEW Dynamite. The show will emanate from UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Punk did his MMA training in the city with Duke Roufus. Milwaukee is about a 90-minute drive from Chicago.
It has been an eventful week. SummerSlam saw the surprise returns of Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar. NXT delivered another stellar Takeover event ahead of the brand’s upcoming major overhaul. However, the debut of CM Punk at Friday’s AEW Rampage remains the most buzz-worthy topic by a long shot.
Punk appeared on Chicago’s ESPN 1000 radio on Monday morning to discuss his arrival in All Elite Wrestling.
After a few days to process what transpired, CM Punk says The First Dance may have been the greatest night of his career. He took a gamble by coming out of retirement and signing up with AEW. After that memorable night, he feels great about his decision.
“That might have been the greatest moment, the greatest night of my career… The way we set it up as the worst kept secret, selling out the United Center on a rumor that I was going to be there, never announced, never advertised, shows the connection to the fanbase that AEW has.”
– CM Punk
Punk says AEW fans “get it” and are looking for the brand of professional wrestling he loves. Punk and AEW dropped hints that he was coming without explicitly advertising his name. That approach came with some risk, but he thinks it paid off.
AEW has a young roster that includes talent such as MJF, Sammy Guevara, Jungle Boy, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Dante Martin and many more. CM Punk has been vocal about wanting to work with some of these performers.
During the ESPN 1000 call, Punk said AEW’s youthful roster has a “punk rock” vibe to it. He said it’s a young and hungry roster. Whatever they lack in experience, they make up for with effort.
CM Punk returns to action against Darby Allin at AEW All Out. The upcoming pay-per-view event takes place Sunday, September 5th from Chicago’s NOW Arena. When asked about how he’s preparing for his first match in 7 years, CM Punk said he’s watching a lot of Darby Allin footage. His goal is to tell a story and remind fans one more time why he is still the Best in the World.
Back in 2011 and the Summer of Punk was in full swing. All that was missing were some good, old-fashioned ice cream. Fast forward a decade and CM Punk is back in a wrestling ring and finally got his hands on an ice cream bar.
When CM Punk’s music hit and he walked out into an AEW ring fans around the world felt as if things were finally getting back to where they should always have been. It didn’t take Punk long to broach the subject of ice creams.
“One more thing. Seven years is an awful long time to wait for somebody. I appreciate everybody here who has waited. So on your way out of the United Center tonight, grab yourself a free ice cream bar on me.”
The crowd went wild. However, there was one thing nobody really understood at the time. The entire affair was not just some publicity stunt thought up by AEW executives. It was not just some extra way to get a little barb shot out at WWE.
He Came To Us 2 Years Ago
The entire idea was CM Punk’s brainchild. Furthermore, it was not something he thought up on the spot. It was an act of generosity two years in the making. This was confirmed in a statement released by Pretty Cool Ice Cream, the company that produced the frozen treats.
“He came to us on his own and asked us to help him do this 2 years ago, and finally the moment was right. Our small team worked tirelessly to hand-make every bar.”
“CM Punk wrote the check for the entire bill himself”
Pretty Cool Ice Cream
That’s a pretty awesome thing to do, and one heck of a way to fulfil a promise made a decade earlier.
The return of CM Punk to professional wrestling has further heightened the electricity that is buzzing around the industry right now. Grabbing the attention of old-school wrestling fans, and potentially bringing fresh, experienced eyes to AEW.
Despite the rumours surrounding other more recently released WWE stars possibly signing with the company, the acquisition of CM Punk will be the story that dominates AEW headlines for some time to come.
CM Punk was officially fired from WWE on June 13, 2014, the same day that he married AJ Mendez (FKA AJ Lee). He made his return to pro-wrestling on August 20th, 2021 in Chicago’s United Center.
Now Punk’s spouse of 7+ years, AJ Lee commented on his AEW debut.
With CM Punk returning to pro-wrestling at the First Dance, many fans are wondering if a return could be in the cards for AJ as well. She hasn’t wrestled since the night after WrestleMania 31 in 2015. She teamed with Paige at Mania that year and defeated the Bella Twins. AJ then teamed with Paige and Naomi the next night and defeated the Bellas and Natalya.
Last year, Paige mentioned she would like to wrestle AJ again someday.
Big E Says AJ Lee Could Work WWE’s “Brock Lesnar” Schedule
During a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Big E spoke about AJ Lee. He said that she’s a legend who could come back and work a “Brock Lesnar schedule” in WWE.
“If she wants it, of course, there very easily is a massive place for her,” said Big E. “And it’s weird, I feel like she’s in this legend territory where she comes back and she gets a massive pop. She can have a Brock Lesnar-type schedule if she wanted to and work a few times a year. So, if it’s something she wants, of course, there’s a place for her.”
The storyline leading up to his WWE title win at the Money In The Bank event in 2011 was a highlight of CM Punk’s career with the wrestling promotion.
The former WWE champion was asked to compare his Money In The Bank moment to his pro wrestling return last night on Rampage during the post-show media scrum.
Replying to the question, Punk claimed that the AEW moment felt more organic. According to him, everything he did prior to it felt like a fight while his appearance on Rampage ‘did not feel like a job’:
“This felt more organic. Everything I ever did prior to being here felt like a fight, and it kinda squeezed the life out of some stuff. This was a joyful moment that was just—it didn’t need to get overproduced,
It didn’t need everybody’s input, it needed a few select people’s input and just an understanding that it’s pro wrestling, you know? You don’t need to slick it up and lacquer it, shine it up too much, it needed to be real.” said CM Punk, “So, to compare the two moments, this one did not feel like a job.”
During the talk, the former WWE star also revealed that he had been talking to AEW officials and Tony Khan for almost 18 months prior to joining the promotion.
Punk explained why he didn’t sign with the company immediately and why it took him so long to make the decision. You can check out his comments on the matter here.
CM Punk debuted with All Elite Wrestling last night at The First Dance in Chicago’s United Center. At a post-event media scrum, only a few details were given regarding Punk’s contract with the promotion. Tony Khan and Punk stated that the deal is not “short term” nor is it “part-time.”
According to a report from PW Insider, however, Punk’s deal with AEW will still allow him to take acting roles and work commentary for MMA promotions. Executives with Warner are also said to be considering other ideas for Punk beyond AEW.
“Punk’s deal will allow him to still pursue acting and commentary for MMA and other opportunities, wrote Mike Johnson.
The report continued to say that executives at TNT are very happy about Punk joining AEW. There is talk that Punk could be involved in projects with Warner Media that extend beyond AEW. Punk is a particularly big NHL fan and Warner Media signed a rights deal with the league earlier this spring.
“We are told that it’s being seen within TNT that Punk has joined ‘their team’ and they are considering potential ideas for him beyond AEW.”
About last night.. check out our ringside footage from CM Punk's debut at #AEWRampage
During last night’s broadcast, it was revealed that Punk will be on Dynamite next week from Milwaukee. His first match back will be against Darby Allin at All Out. Punk will be regularly appearing on AEW programming as part of his contract with the promotion.
“We are told he’ll be regularly appearing on AEW programming as needed to build to big matches,” Johnson continued.
CM Punk revealed during the post-Rampage media scrum that he had been talking to AEW president Tony Khan for over 18 months before finally agreeing to make his pro wrestling return for the promotion. This raised the question as to what made the former WWE champion change his mind.
Punk was asked if he was waiting for AEW to prove themselves before making the decision later in the session. Replying to the question, the former WWE star claimed that it wasn’t about AEW proving themself and more about the two parties getting familiar with each other:
“I mean who am I? Nobody has to prove anything to me. It wasn’t about them having to prove anything to me. It was about me being open to the idea. And then it wasn’t gonna be ‘well I am gonna jump into the pool right away’, I had to dip my toe in and see how things are gonna be.”
Punk went on to credit Renee Paquette for bringing him back into the wrestling fold with the WWE backstage gig, saying that it opened his eyes:
“Actually, this is all Renee Paquette’s fault honestly. She is the one who got me to come back to do the backstage thing and it opened my eyes to like ‘okay, this is fun, she is a good person. I like working with good people’. That’s really all it was, nobody had to prove anything to me. But I did take a wait-and-see approach. And I waited and I liked what I saw.”
Paquette later replied to these comments from him on Twitter. She posted a GIF in reply to Punk’s comments, saying ‘you are welcome’:
CM Punk made his triumphant return to pro wrestling last night on Rampage. He has already set up his first match in over 7 years and has been announced for this Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
CM Punk returned to a pro-wrestling for the first time in over 7.5 years last night at The First Dance. During the post-event media scrum, Punk talked about what his goals are in AEW. Punk said he’s going to help the young stars in AEW the way guys like Harley Race, Terry Funk, Eddie Guerrero, and Tracy Smothers helped him.
“Going forward, I think my legacy is to help out the young guys the way Harley Race helped me, the way Terry Funk helped me, the way Eddie Guerrero helped me. Tracy Smothers,” Punk said (transcriptions via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi).
CM Punk: Going forward, I think my legacy is to help out the young guys the way Harley Race helped me, the way Terry Funk helped me, the way Eddie Guerrero helped me. Tracy Smothers. #AEWRampage
Punk also mentioned some of the young or newer talent he’s hoping to work with. He also mentioned names like Jon Moxley, who he hasn’t had the chance to work with yet.
“I get excited about the prosect of me working with Pillman, Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Jungle Boy, Darby Allin. Jon Moxley – never worked with a Jon Moxley before,” Punk said.
Punk also noted that he’s never wrestled the Young Bucks or been in a ring with Kenny Omega before. The Straight Edge Superstar also pointed out that there could be other wrestlers on their way to AEW that he’d like to work with as well.
“I’ve never done anything with the Young Bucks. I’ve never stepped in the ring with Kenny Omega. … And who knows who else is coming,” Punk continued.
CM Punk retired from active competition after walking out of WWE in 2014. Rumors about his return had been heard from time to time since then but none of them led anywhere.
It was then reported last month that the Straight Edge star has finally agreed to make his return for All Elite Wrestling and he will be making his comeback very soon.
The wrestling world had been buzzing with anticipation since then and things exploded when Punk finally made his first wrestling appearance in 7 years at last night’s Rampage from Chicago.
The former WWE star has been a trending topic on all social platforms since his appearance. His return to pro wrestling seems to be the only topic of discussion among wrestling fans.
Punk has already confirmed his debut match for Dynamite by challenging Darby Allin during his promo on the show. Now it would be interesting to see if we get a confrontation between the two this Wednesday night.
CM Punk made his triumphant return to pro wrestling at last night’s The First Dance edition of Rampage. Fans welcomed him back with open hands.
The former WWE champion’s comeback seemed to be the only topic of discussion among fans on social sites. Though fans weren’t the only ones who were reacting to the massive development.
Many wrestling personalities also took their social media to react to Punk’s comeback. Several AEW stars posted photos with the Straight Edge star while WWE stars just reacted by expressing how the moment made them feel:
The former WWE star not only talked about his absence and return during his promo on Rampage, but he also laid out the challenge for his debut match for AEW.
While the returning star did not reveal the length of his contract with AEW, he did confirm that he has signed a full time deal with Tony Khan’s promotion.
This means we are going to be seeing a lot more of CM Punk in coming times, starting with the upcoming episode of Dynamite which Punk has already been announced for.
CM Punk has unveiled how long he has been speaking to AEW.
Punk made his AEW debut in front of a jam-packed United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Punk opened up the second episode of Rampage. Following an emotional entrance, Punk addressed the fans. He said he didn’t blame those who were disappointed by his absence.
Punk also said he felt he hasn’t truly been a part of the wrestling industry since he left ROH in 2005. With his AEW signing, Punk said he now feels he’s truly back. He then turned his attention to Darby Allin. The two will collide on Sept. 5 at All Out.
Punk took answers from the media following Rampage. He revealed how long he had been speaking to AEW.
“I’ll go ahead and spoil that I’ve been talking to Tony for probably a year and a half about this. Some girls are easy to get into bed. I am not. I need to do wined and dined. That’s not, ‘oh I need more money and less dates’ and ‘oh I need this and I need that.’ It was literally just talking to Tony and getting to know him, and the more people that he employed that I knew, I’d ask them questions and they’d tell me things.
“I’ve been in the game for a few minutes, you know, so I’ve seen that. I think I traced it back to, especially since the downfall of ECW, every six months to a year, somebody pops up, ‘I have money, we’re gonna have TV and we’re going to use all the ECW guys.’ This is not a slight on Tony at all. It’s more of, it’s more of a slight at me being a paranoid, neurotic, anxiety-ridden, very careful person, and I wasn’t in a hurry. The pandemic kind of help that out, you know, and I knew I couldn’t debut if there’s no people in the building. So, I always say, timing is everything, and there were a lot of happy accidents along the way that made this possible.”
CM Punk had been away from the wrestling business since 2014. He left WWE following the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk expressed his dismay with the lack of time off and how the WWE medical team handled his staph infection. He also took issue with some creative decisions.
CM Punk finally made his return to pro wrestling and did it on Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage from Chicago, IL at the Allstate Arena.
The fans went nuts, he dove into the crowd and hugged several of his friends at ringside. He cut a promo about how he didn’t know what he was going to say until he felt the crowd. He said he has a lot to say and he will get to that later. He said that he couldn’t stay in the same place that got him sick in the first place.
Punk said that he felt before like he had to leave. He said in August 2005 he felt like he had to leave ROH and it boiled down to him finding a place where he found a play to make a name for themselves and then leave.
He said in 2005, he left pro wrestling, but in August 2021, he’s back. Punk said he’s back for himself and the fans because there’s a lot of talent he wishes he could’ve been around. He said he’s back to work with young talent and there are a few scores to settle. He called out Darby Allin and said that he’s good. Punk said that he’s here to help Allin so he challenged Allin at All Out.
On July 21st, news first broke that the former WWE Champion has been in talks to make a return to pro wrestling as an in-ring performer with AEW being the leading candidate.
There had been a lot of speculation as to when Punk could make his promotional debut, but it was always favored to be in Chicago as that’s his hometown. There are three dates in the first week of September in the city – Dynamite, Rampage, and All Out. However, when AEW announced this special episode of Rampage, many fans knew this was the date for his arrival.
Add Paul Wight to the list of people who have teased a CM Punk appearance at AEW Rampage: The First Dance.
The second episode of AEW Rampage takes place tonight (Aug. 20). It’ll be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. While nothing has been announced, Punk is expected to be making his AEW debut on the show.
Wight appeared on ESPN’s SportsNation and talked about the rumors that have been heating up.
“Tonight is a night on Rampage where in the future, people are going to say ‘Hey do you remember when?’ We’re in Chicago, United Centre, sold out. There’s a lot of rumors going around, a lot of scuttlebutt. There’s an opportunity tonight for someone to make an appearance on Rampage here in AEW that will literally knock the wrestling world on its keister. This is one of the biggest, anticipated events that I can remember in a long time.
“I was trying to think about it today, what is it compared to? Is it compared to Hulk Hogan going to WCW? Does it compare to the nWo? Stone Cold Steve Austin glass breaking Austin 3:16? What kind of an impact, if the rumors are true, will this have on the wrestling business. I can neither confirm nor deny what kind of an impact tonight’s Rampage will have on the wrestling industry for the future.”
Not counting WWE Backstage, CM Punk hasn’t appeared on a wrestling show since 2014. He left WWE following the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk cited a lack of time off, how WWE’s medical team handled his staph infection, and creative frustration when it came to his decision to leave.
Wrestling legend Mick Foley is sticking up for CM Punk following comments made by WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Punk has been the talk of the wrestling world lately. While nothing has been announced, Punk is expected to make an appearance tomorrow night (Aug. 20) at AEW Rampage: The First Dance. This episode of Rampage will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Reigns recently had an interview with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport. When Helwani mentioned that Punk has long been a detractor of part-timers taking the spotlight from full-time workers in the wrestling industry, Reigns had the following response.
“… I think, man, those statements are coming from bitter people. Who possibly thought they were better than they really were. When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena. Wasn’t as good or as over and moved the needle, like The Rock.”
Mick Foley took to his Twitter account and made it clear that he disagrees with Reigns and feels Punk was as good and as over as he said he was.
“CM PUNK WAS DAMN GOOD, AND DAMN OVER. With one interview he changed the course of the wrestling business. He had great matches with a wide variety of opponents on a nightly basis. When/if he returns to wrestling, he will once again be damn good and damn over.”
If all indications are correct, we won’t have to wait long to see just how much of a needle-mover Punk is in 2021. He hasn’t been involved with a wrestling promotion since 2014. His stint on WWE Backstage was through FOX, not WWE.
Who do you agree with on the popularity ceiling of CM Punk, Mick Foley or Roman Reigns?
Universal Champion Roman Reigns feels CM Punk doesn’t move the needle.
BT Sports Ariel Helwani interviewed Reigns before his upcoming title defense against John Cena at Summerslam this Saturday at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the interview, Helwani brought up Punk’s name and asked Reigns about his thoughts of Cena being in the title picture despite being a part-timer. Reigns responded by saying, “I can see it from both perspectives. But, I think you said it before. You know, the high tide raises all the boats, right? Everybody benefits. So I do think there is that strange threshold.”
He then shared his thoughts on Punk and compared his drawing power to Cena. “… I think, man, those statements are coming from bitter people. Who possibly thought they were better than they really were. When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena. Wasn’t as good or as over and move the needle, like The Rock,” said Reigns.
Roman Reigns Thoughts on Part-Timers
Reigns’ thoughts on part-time WWE talent seem to have changed over the years. It wasn’t too long ago when he spoke out against part-time WWE talent being featured prominently. New York Post’s Joesph Staszewski interviewed Reigns on April 4, 2018, to promote his match with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34 on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisana. In the interview, he voiced his frustration with part-time talent in WWE.
“…Some people need to hear this stuff because this has kind of been a thing. Brock’s not the only part-time guy. But there are a lot of full-time guys that are never gonna, as a collective, reach our potentials if we are dominated in this portion of the year by part-time guys,” said Reigns.
It’s unclear why his opinion has changed. He will look to defend his title against Cena in two days successfully.
