5 WWE Superstars and incidents referenced during CM Punk-Jon Moxley segment on AEW Dynamite
This week's edition of Dynamite kept fans on the edge of their seats owing to CM Punk and Jon Moxley's confrontation following the former's return last week. The reigning AEW World Champion is known for his tongue-in-cheek humor in his promos with a hint of subtlety, while Moxley has also showcased his witty mic skills.
The Interim AEW World Champion's unhinged gimmick and Punk's charismatic verbality at the commencement of the show led to a brawl. Officials and referees had to run out to keep the two AEW stars from assaulting each other. Later in the night, a unification match for the two titles was announced for the August 24th edition of Dynamite.
Here is a list of Punk's former fellow employees and Moxley's reference to an infamous incident involving his opponent. :
#5 CM Punk referenced the iconic WWE heel faction The Shield, ranking Jon Moxley third in 'his own group'
"Jon Moxley is the third best guy in his own group and that seems to be a reoccurring theme in his career.” - CM Punk
BARS.
(via @AEW)
https://t.co/GOjbpcDFsq
The first time CM Punk and Jon Moxley (fka Dean Ambrose) collided was during their tenure in WWE. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Moxley made their debuts as The Shield, a faction seeking justice for the wrongs done in the McMahon-led company. They interfered during The Best in the World's match against Ryback and John Cena for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series in 2012. They claimed to be working with Punk, aiding him to win his matches to which the former denied. Over time, the feud between the trio and the AEW World Champion progressed, resulting in him competing one-on-one with Moxley (then Ambrose), citing him as being the weakest link in the faction.
#4 CM Punk cited his rival's friend Eddie Kingston as the 'third best Eddie' he had ever been in the ring with
“His best friend is the third best Eddie I’ve been in the ring with.”
B R O.
CM Punk competed on the independent circuit for quite a few years before making it big on Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). In 2002, he faced Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero in a triple threat match at IWA. Guerrero was the then Intercontinental Champion and Punk was the IWA Champion. Both men put their titles on the line for the match. CM Punk seemingly also referenced another of his former opponents, Umaga (real name Eddie Smith Fatu), whom he faced in the early years of his career.
#3 CM Punk referenced his former WWE tag team partner Kofi Kingston
After ECW merged with the McMahon-led company in the mid 2000s, CM Punk started making appearances on RAW. In October 2008, Punk and Kofi Kingston became WWE Tag Team Champions by defeating Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase. A few months later, the duo lost their titles to The Miz and John Morrison.
During his promo for the introductory segment of the latest edition of AEW Dynamite, the former WWE Superstar cited Eddie Kingston as 'the second best Kingston he ever shared a locker room with'.
#2 AEW star CM Punk referenced his match with former WWE arch nemesis John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011
The upcoming All Out pay-per-view is scheduled to take place in CM Punk's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. While upon his return, it was speculated that he would clash with Jon Moxley on September 4th, the angsty Interim AEW World Champion laid out a challenge for next week.
At Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk faced John Cena for the WWE Championship. The controversial feud ended with the AEW star winning the title on what happened to be the last day of his contract with the company. He jumped over the barricade and blew a kiss to a shocked Vince McMahon and John Cena as he disappeared among the fans. Punk left the building with the title but returned a few months later.
#1 Jon Moxley referenced CM Punk's controversial 'Pipebomb'
In June 2011, CM Punk created history and took the wrestling world by storm with his 'pipebomb' on RAW. The 43-old star was involved in a feud with John Cena and stated that Cena had more opportunities than he deserved. He also proceeded to take digs at Mr. McMahon and Triple H before his mic was muted.It was then announced that Punk had been suspended indefinitely.
Recently, on Dynamite, Jon Moxley confronted the reigning AEW World Champion stating that he was looking forward to competing with him. Moxley also cited that he was not afraid to battle Punk, who had been out with a foot injury for the past couple of months.
Both men have clashed multiple times on varied promotions throughout their careers. In 2012, when The Purveyor of Violence was training in WWE's developmental territory, then known as Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), he called out Punk and the two even had an exchange of words.