5 Things AEW subtly told us at Rampage: CM Punk takes clever shot at WWE, Popular stars to win title for the first time?
AEW Rampage was what made pro wrestling headlines on August 20th. Well before the show even aired, everybody knew what to expect and the company delivered. Rampage was a short one-hour episode filled with the biggest return in years and three high-consequence matches.
Christian Cage didn't wrestle but he vowed to take the AEW World Championship from Kenny Omega, just like he took the Impact World title from him. The Cleaner hit back as well and their feud intensified.
But all of that was completely overshadowed by what can only be described as the biggest debut in AEW history and one of the biggest returns in pro wrestling in the last decade. Let's jump into what AEW subtly told us at Rampage this week:
#5. The Summer of Punk III begins on AEW Rampage
Rather than making us wait, Tony Khan decided to start AEW Rampage the best way he could - with CM Punk's debut. CM Punk is now All Elite as he debuted at AEW Rampage.
The sold-out crowd at AEW Rampage (the largest in AEW history) were chanting for CM Punk before the show even started and it was a moment to remember. CM Punk always shared a special relationship with his hometown of Chicago, but the reaction he got could be compared to that of Money in the Bank 2011.
He had the crowd at the United Center for AEW Rampage in the palm of hand. Interestingly, he made a comment that stands out. Punk claimed that it was in 2005 when he had his last wrestling match before joining WWE.
16 years later, CM Punk said he's back in professional wrestling. He seems to have labeled his near 8-and-a-half year stint with WWE as "sports entertainment" and didn't give them the pleasure of any acknowledgment.
CM Punk was always going to overshadow anything else that happened on the show or in professional wrestling as a whole. What is also official is when CM Punk will make his in-ring debut.
He is set to face Darby Allin on September 5th at the All Out pay-per-view. It may finally be time to say; the Summer of Punk has officially begun!