CM Punk is back, I told you so. This is being written minutes after the August 20th episode of AEW Rampage. And if you clicked this article, you know by now what just happened. This could have been given the “What Did We Just Watch” title, but the title is all you need to know.
After months of rumors and teasing on AEW television and social media, CM Punk has finally made his in-ring return to professional wrestling. Before we get into how wrestling fans reacted to this, let’s break down the return itself.
CM Punk is All Elite
The show opened with the crazy Chicago crowd chanting, “CM Punk”. Reports have been going around all afternoon that CM Punk was in the arena. So it was only a matter of time before we would see him.
Punk’s old WWE theme song, “Cult of Personality” started playing and the arena went bananas. Fans all over the world had to pinch themselves because they thought it was a dream. But it was real.
After a lengthy entrance where Punk embraced his hometown crowd and even started to tear up, he headed to the ring to deliver a message that fans waited years for. Not that we hadn’t heard from Punk, but he hasn’t spoken on a wrestling program in seven years.
He went on to talk about how the WWE drained him physically, mentally, and emotionally. Punk cited how he left professional wrestling in 2005, which was when he last wrestled in Ring of Honor to go to WWE, a clear jab at the wrestling titans even though he didn’t name drop them.
Punk then went on to address Darby Allin, who had originally teased Punk’s return when Allin said he wanted to find out who “the best in the world” really was. Allin was seen in the rafters alongside Sting.
AEW’s next pay-per-view, All Out, will also be in the United Center in Chicago. CM Punk then went on to challenge Darby Allin to a match at the pay-per-view. Another statement that got a huge pop.
How it Made Fans Feel
CM Punk is a wrestler that many fans couldn’t wait to see get back into the ring. He helped get a lot of older fans back into professional wrestling in 2011 when WWE was really lacking a star that would entertain the older demographic.
It sucks that WWE booked him so terribly during the summer of 2011, better known as the Summer of Punk. Punk would eventually enjoy a lengthy reign with the WWE Championship, the longest reign in modern history that they quickly wrote off after his release.
The WWE made CM Punk hate wrestling. So when he said on multiple occasions that he would never wrestle again, he meant it at the time. And we all believed it as fans.
That is what made this return so special. As time went on, we all knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time. Watching grown men cry in the audience as Punk made his entrance says it all.
The Aftermath
CM Punk said himself that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. He will be making his first appearance on Dynamite this Wednesday.
Jim Ross noted that this was one of the greatest moments he has ever been a part of in professional wrestling. If Jim Ross said that, you know it is monumental, but you didn’t need Jim Ross to tell you that.
AEW has been on the rise since starting up over a year ago. The CM Punk signing will now help them go to infinity and beyond. Congratulations CM Punk. The long-awaited wrestling run that you deserved is finally here.
Main Photo:
