CM Punk’s Long-Awaited Return Is the Boost AEW Sorely Needed

His presence gives AEW the sort of boost it sorely needed this summer.

CM Punk is back.

And, as he reminded a packed crowd at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, he is tired of being nice.

Punk returned and wrestled on the debut episode of AEW Collision. The show represents the faith that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav has in AEW, putting Collision in prime time on Saturday nights. More on Zaslav in a moment, who was a talking point in Punk’s show-opening promo.

In addition to wrestling, Punk wanted to speak on Collision. This was his first moment to speak on AEW programming since the notorious All Out postshow press conference and subsequent backstage brawl in September, which exposed his ever-growing issues with “Hangman” Adam Page and the three AEW executive vice presidents, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Punk did not reference Omega or Page during the promo, but his inference was unmistakable when he explained that Zaslav refers to him as “One Bill Phil” because he is the “one true genuine article in a business full of counterfeit bucks.” The Young Bucks, to their credit, mused on their Twitter profile that “If it were 2018, we’d already have a ‘Counterfeit Bucks’ shirt available on [Pro Wrestling Tees].” Longtime masters of marketing, they weren’t kidding.

Punk wore a shirt that paid tribute to his dog, Larry, and Roddy Piper, as well as gear and a hoodie that honored Bret Hart. His promo, which ran just shy of eight minutes, was structured in a way that would make legends of the business blush. He deftly hit all his points, revealing his willingness to uncover the truth about some of his peers in a promo built brilliantly on a “tell me when I’m telling lies” chorus.

He undoubtedly offended a number of the AEW talent backstage when he quipped about the softness of some of the wrestlers in the company, but it should also be noted that Punk has plenty of supporters within AEW. One AEW performer not on Saturday night’s Collision, who asked to remain anonymous, explained how Punk’s return creates new possibilities and opportunities because Punk is looking to spotlight different talent in his matches. True to form, Punk’s six-man tag put a bright light on the work of Juice Robinson, who bumped and sold for Punk—and received sincere words of gratitude from Punk after the match.

As for the match itself, Punk and FTR defeated Samoa Joe, Jay White and Robinson. The bout was full of action and excitement, especially whenever Punk and Joe shared the ring. It also marked the first real moment of White’s tenure in AEW, where he is still gaining his footing after a wildly successful run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Punk pinned Robinson after hitting the GTS, which was not his finest delivery of the move, no doubt hindered by setting it up near the ropes instead of in the center of the ring.

The commercials were a bit exhausting, and Jim Ross did not sound like himself on commentary after suffering a brutal fall earlier in the day, but Tony Khan could not have asked for a better main event for the premiere of Collision. Now that the debut is over, the next test will be gaining traction on a week-to-week basis.

AEW has the depth on its roster necessary to make this show work. It was a surprise that there was no real hook at the end of the show to tune in the following week, but next week’s Collision is in a favorable position as it is the go-home show before Sunday’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Punk is too valuable a commodity to risk in a singles match at Forbidden Door, especially considering he just returned from a serious injury and the card is already stacked, so it would make sense to have him team again with FTR against three wrestlers from New Japan (any variation of Los Ingobernables de Japon against Punk and FTR would be extremely captivating).

One fascinating element of Punk’s return to Collision is that he carried a bag to the ring for his show-opening promo, which he explained held the AEW world title that he never lost. If there are no plans for a title unification match between Punk and world champion MJF, then that is a peculiar choice—and one that the contingent of anti-Punk personnel in AEW will attempt to use to their advantage. But a critical component of Punk’s storytelling has always been logic. Since he hasn’t been defeated since winning the world title, why wouldn’t he carry it with him? Logic continues to follow Punk in this story line, though it was interesting that he opted not to wear the belt when he made his way to the ring to wrestle later in the evening.

Overall, Punk’s return to AEW was electric. He brings a badly needed burst of energy to the company to kick off the summer. Every match and promo will be appointment viewing. More so than any other figure in pro wrestling, Punk is unpredictable—and he brings that intangible with him every time he walks in front of the camera.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.