5 things you missed from CM Punk's AEW return
The moment has arrived, and CM Punk has finally returned to professional wrestling. The chants were enormous, and the emotion was felt across the United Center in Chicago as the 'Prodigal Son' returned.
While it was unclear when CM Punk would appear on the show, AEW decided to start with. Given that the fans were already chanting his name, it was perhaps the right decision to start the show before getting back to the night's matches.
It felt like a long time coming, and the previous seven years when CM Punk was away from Pro Wrestling felt like an empty void (for some fans) that came back to be filled by this returning 'Messiah.'
With that said, Punk's first promo inside a pro wrestling ring was telling in more ways than one. Here are five takeaways from CM Punk's first AEW promo.
#5 CM Punk doesn't consider WWE professional wrestling
In a bit of a slight towards his former employers, CM Punk seemed to imply that he was away much longer than the seven years. In his promo, CM Punk said:
"So, I look at it like this. August 13, 2005, I left professional wrestling. August 20, 2021, I'm back."
It was undoubtedly a purposeful line as WWE had billed itself as 'Sports Entertainment,' which CM Punk used to his advantage when he named himself 'The Best Wrestler in the World.'
For years, CM Punk was missing in action, and many didn't know his return would happen, but it has come to pass. CM Punk has a point to prove in AEW, maybe not to others but himself. Indeed, when it comes to WWE, Punk made his true feelings felt on AEW Rampage in front of thousands of screaming fans.