CM Punk’s return to wrestling with AEW will always be an all-time great moment. While he made a brief return to the wrestling community as an analyst on WWE Backstage on US television network Fox’s FS1 channel, few would have held out hope for the Second City Saint to return to the squared circle as a full-time performer.
Well, he did return and he has been spectacular. His match against Darby Allin displayed some ring rust but Punk is master of his craft. What he lost in terms of athleticism, he has more than made up for it with his psychology and exceptional ability on the mic. He has stayed true to his words of mixing it up with the young guns in AEW, locking horns against the likes of Darby Allin, Daniel Garcia, Max Caster and Lee Moriarty.
However, multiple stars in AEW (Eddie Kingston, MJF and recently, Hangman Page) have pointed out that the Chicago native is not what he portrays himself to be. In a recent interview with ESPN, CM Punk rubbished those claims, stating he was only there to make AEW a better place.
“I don’t run things,” Punk said. “I don’t call shots. I don’t book s—. I just make towns. And I have a wealth of experience that I can draw from. I have a wealth of positive and negative experiences that I can draw from. I’m not sitting back trying to hold people back, politic or anything. I’m just literally trying to make this place better.”
– CM Punk
As he does a lot of times, the Voice of the Voiceless reiterated how WWE wasted him and how much happier he is in his new surroundings.
“I feel like it was kind of wasted,” Punk said. “It could have been so much more. It should have been so much more. And now, this is everything I dreamed pro wrestling could and should be. And I’m here and I’m f—ing in the moment. I’m not thinking about tomorrow. I’m not worried about s— that happened yesterday. I’m living in the moment and I’m 100% in my f—ing prime, best I’ve ever been.”
– CM punk
CM Punk will challenge Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship on Sunday at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. It is arguably the most unpredictable title match Tony Khan has booked so far, with plausible justifications to be made for any outcome. What we know for certain is that Phil Brooks is back to where he belongs; in the main event scene of a major wrestling promotion and fans in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be treated to a historic clash.
