CM Punk is back in pro wrestling.
But it isn’t with WWE.
Seven years after leaving WWE, Punk finally made his highly-anticipated return. He debuted on Friday night with AEW, bringing a rare presence to the company that is an equal blend of charisma and toughness.
Broadcast live on TNT, AEW Rampage opened with Living Colour’s “The Cult of Personality”, a song that has become synonymous with Punk, blasting throughout the United Center in Chicago. The response was electric, and Punk then cut a passionate promo in the ring. It felt as though Punk were speaking to old friends, reminiscing about his departure from Ring of Honor in 2005—which he described as the day he left professional wrestling—and officially declared this moment in AEW his return.