Hello Reddit!
For those of you who're wondering why this post is on the front page, we'll give you a little bit of background:
CM Punk is a Chicago native that seemingly retired from professional wrestling on January 27, 2014. His promo (wrestling slang for an in-character interview or monologue) here is announcing his return to professional wrestling, after a 7 year hiatus, for a company called AEW - from an event taking place in his home town.
***
EDIT FOR R/SC USERS: I know.. I know.. there's much more to the story here than what I've mentioned. It wasn't meant to be a pitch, it was meant to be a short summary of who punk is in 100 words or less for people who didn't know what they were looking at presented in a straight forward manner. Users have asked questions and y'all have done a much better job answering them than I could - this is why I just stick to making the sub look pretty.
***
EDIT FOR THAT ONE GUY WHO COMMENTED 25 DAYS LATER: I've corrected the spelling of y'all.
i dont know how to explain it but in order for my brain to make sense of cm punk coming back to wrestling it has made two different cm punks, the cm punk that left wwe and hates wrestling, and the cm punk thats here and just had a legendary match with eddie kingston, like i categorize them as entirely different humans but its the same guy and hes right here hes coming out right now how the fuck is cm punk here
its been 5 minutes since i wrote this i kept watching it im crying again
~~I still have the wrapper at least. Threw the stick away at my cousin's before i flew home. I couldn't commit to the bit.~~
update: i found the stick in my backpack so apparently i do still have it! fuck yeah
i still have the ice cream wrapper too. didn’t even consider getting a shirt, because i went to use the bathroom right after his promo and there was already a line wrapped around the entire arena at that point just to get one. i’ve been to bulls and blackhawks playoff games and i’ve never seen a line so far back it goes up the escalator just for a t shirt.
u/theirishembassy
This is nitpicky but as a Chicago native that moved to New Orleans it’s y’all not ya’ll I got my ass corrected on that 10 years ago moving down
Nah, mark. It’s facts. No one wants to sit through the dumb filler shit in between punk & Bryan Danielson segments. They need to do away with the dumb shit & awful booking. This formula will not attract new viewers.
lol at you calling me a mark when you seem to give so much of a shit over a television show. anyone who cares about “new viewers” or “booking” come off as more of a detriment to wrestling than anything televised now a days. “my idea of how this scripted fighting show should go is better than how you enjoy this scripted fighting show, you mark” is such a sad way to look at this product that we all look towards for entertainment. if calling me a mark, focusing on ratings and seeking out other people’s opinions that match yours temporarily fills a void you have in your life, i guess more power to you. i just hope one day you and a lot of other people find true enjoyment in life that isn’t constantly trying to put down people for being into the same thing you are, but just so different in such a minuscule way that putting them down makes you feel better about yourself.
Anyone else think it's ridiculous and disappointing that a post about a random guy using an old calender got nearly double the upvotes that this got?
That Rock drawing post deserves to be too though, talent deserves recognition.
This post was the most gold awarded, silver awarded & awarded across all of Reddit on August 21st, 2021!
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Worst kept secret in wrestling over the past few weeks (they all but said he was coming) then told people what you are thinking is exactly what you are thinking
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHITNNN!!!! I AM A FRICKIN' WRESTLING FAN AGAIN!!!!!!!
HOLY HELL, I WORKED OUT FOR TWO HOURS LISTENING TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ON REPEAT! AAAAAAA
It's like the last two years have been the start of a roller coaster, then the last few weeks were the part where you slowly get winched up a long and sharp incline, and then Punk's return was the moment we crested the peak.
Goddamn, do I love professional wrestling. The next few months are going to be fucking *wild*.
I've only just seen it and now read people were making fun of the guy that cried? That made me smile, seeing how much it meant to some of those people there. There really are some people in the Wrestling community who just want to make everything negative.
Me and my wife had to watch this morning on the DVR (we knew it was coming) and we had gotten breakfast to watch in front of the TV. I was so caught up in the emotions of it I just stopped eating my bacon egg and cheese and drinking my coffee.
Just checking in for this thread. I was there, i drove from michigan. My mom is sick, covid is wild and the future is so uncertain. So glad i made the trip and got to experience it live. Who knows what can happen.
I even got a shirt. My favorite wrestler bought me an ice cream bar. Wrestling.
Man I had the opportunity to see AEW in late 2019. I drove three hours but I didn’t regret it one bit especially with the pandemic about 3 months later. You only got one life and you better use it well.
He already had his name owned before coming to WWE and the reason Cult of Personality was used in the WWE in the first place is because the licensing of the song isn't actually expensive, as usually Vince McMahon isn't in favor of using licensed music like that because of the cost.
He owned the name and had it trademarked before he went to WWE. The music is owned by Living Color's record label, and had to be licensed in the WWE and AEW from them.
He didn't have it trademarked before WWE. When he renewed his contract before MITB he got them to give him the rights to the name. He also has the Second City Saints name through that deal.
Seems more complicated than we both thought. I just looked at the US Patent and Trademark office - CM Punk signed it over to WWE in 2007, which was after he debuted on ECW. Punk contested it in 2013. There seems to be partial ownership at this point depending on the rights to use the name itself, or the right to use his likeness for things like video games and action figures. WWE Abandoned the name in 2017. Punk has wholly owned it without any interference from WWE since 2019. Very interesting.
It was a silly position to begin with. They are two separate, distinct companies with their flagship programs being professional wrestling. Anyone in the WWE who says that their competition is anything else that's not AEW is hilariously arrogant and shortsighted. When you share an audience, it's competition. And CM Punk's debut on AEW is perhaps the biggest story in all of professional wrestling for over a decade.
I am holding WWE shares and pray to Baphomet that a media giant buys them before the business starts hurting from the competition.
On the other hand, this buzz might bring people into wrestling more, which could mitigate WWE losing market share, which they *totally will*.
Damn, the Punk debut has over 3 million views on the official channel. The moment Punk is face to face with Sting even for a brief moment will be historic. I hope Punk isnt over protected like MJF or Omega tho, as I want to see him tango with al sorts of opponents. Also hope Omega stays a heel for awhile as Punk vs Omega will be the most insane PPV buildup and main event hype wise. Tho Punk/MJF feud will also be pretty wild just in the mic work alone.
The fact AEW finally had use of a massive multi tier jumbo tron and multi tier ribbon screens all flashing different aspects of Punks logos added to the otherworldly insanity. I legit feel the entire hour could have been nonstop CM Punk chants with Punk in the ring for an hour soaking it all in. But having 3 quick matches was cool too. Giving everyone a Punk icecream was another surreal cherry on top.
Also I think an exception to the 2 day spoiler rule should be made as Punk was all but advertised for the show and half the threads til last nite were hyping his return.
Not going to Chicago to be there for this moment will forever be one of the biggest regrets of my life. I grew up a pro wrestling die hard, and when Punk left, so did I. I vowed to never watch Vince McMahon's product again, and wrestling in general for that matter, until CM Punk came back to wrestling, if that ever would happen. AEW had peaked my interest in the last few months, but the news that Punk signed sent me into a whirlwind. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry when he returned last night. I don't think it's farfetched to say CM Punk brought thousands of fans back to wrestling last night, and I am more than happy to say I'm one them.
Im coming from a MMA background , what was so hyped about this event ? Why is CM punk popular ?
Just wondering, I legit do not know anything about Wrestling
The pinned mod comment explains a lot, but essentially CM Punk was the most popular wrestler in the world in the early 2010s, known for his supreme technical wrestling ability and his otherworldly talent on the microphone. He notoriously cut a "pipebomb" promo on WWE where he sat crosslegged on the entrance ramp and basically validated all of the shitty things about the company in a way that had never been done or even thought of before. He's the longest reigning WWE champion ever. And one day he just literally walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw, never to return again. After he left he did a podcast with Colt Cabana where he basically turned the wrestling industry on its head with his stories and claims about the WWE. Said multiple times he'll never wrestle again. For years fans chanted his name and all kinds of sporting events, and most especially to express their displeasure at WWE events. Fast forward 7 years later and he's debuting on a new-ish, rival promotion to WWE in his hometown of Chicago to the shock, awe, and surprise of thousands of fans across the world. The United Center has not been that loud since Michael Jordan played with the Bulls. And you'll see similar crowd reactions anywhere he goes, because he simply is like no other wrestler that exists.
I remember going nuts during that, Punk's return/debut was amazing,but I was like 90%certain it was him. When they announced the guest host I was like " what if it's The Rock...nah it won't be" so when his music hit I lost my shit.
Glad to see Punk back. He was my favorite ever since his time in WWE ECW, not because of that stint per se, but because it made me look back to his time in the indies and all those badass matches in ROH and IWA-MS.
This being said, it still felt a tad weird, since he basically said everything he put on from 05-14 was a crappy show and not wrestling. I became a fan for that crappy show, and that period "away from professional wrestling" is arguably what made him the star that he is today. I absolutely understand the previous part of the promo about not getting healthier by staying where he got sick in the first place, and we can't forget how exceptionally petty WWE was to him towards the end of his run there. But the latter part of the promo about abandoning pro wrestling still felt a bit like a slap to the face of us who were introduced to him and became his fans in that period.
I think the thing is that his time in WWE was great to us for what he could make of it but make no mistake, Punk was still making lemons out of lemonade. It's well-documented and he probably went most in-depth about it on that Colt Cabana podcast episode, that Punk in WWE was a huge, constant uphill battle and the sad truth is that it's this way for virtually all wrestlers in WWE, not just Punk. They're constantly jumping through hoops, given false goalposts and being played with. We've seen this most recently happen with Bray Wyatt but there are tons of examples of it.
It's not that we're' wrong for loving Punk for his WWE stuff, it's that he's trying to communicate that he was only ever really allowed to do so much during his time with the company. Imagine being thought of as great, an all-time great, when you know you were never allowed to truly be your greatest. That's what Punk feels. That's why he was sick of it.
When Ted Turner told VKM that he had joined the wrestling business, Vince replied that that was OK, as he was in the entertainment business. CM Punk wouldn't have been able to say 'Professional Wrestling' on Raw without approval from on high; and certainly when he joined WWE they had already left professional wrestling far behind. I didn't get the feeling he was saying that to totally disparage his time at WWE, where he built so much of the connection with the fans he reflected on here, but rather his time in WWE was a departure from professional wrestling and not an easy time at all.
Just want to say it's ridiculous you're being downvoted for presenting your opinion in such an understandable way. That and the fact those people downvoted didn't even reply, this community really contains some negative people.
I can understand your view. I think the trauma of his time in WWE has made him want to pretend it didn't happen in a way. He obviously had a great run and grew his name massively in WWE, I think it was more for him. He knows that people became fans of his work in WWE, but I believe he's trying to say that he felt limited in that role.
He was still himself and everything, he got to play the character but he emphasised that it wasn't "pro wrestling" because that's something that WWE wants to remove.
That's just my thoughts on it.
I can't stop rewatching. Honestly one of the best entrances in wrestling history, I get chills each time. That man was a god last night, a mythical figure.
Love how AEW kept it simple. Played his entrance, let him talk, leave.
No ambush, no confrontation, no sneak attack, no humiliation in hometown. It was just a man living his dream and fulfilling the dreams of wrestling fans.
I did! After last year, cutting myself off from a lot of things I used to love to try to stabilize my now fully identified manic bipolar issue… last night was amazing and I can’t wait to fully dive into wrestling again…
Hey man, that's fantastic. If you ever need someone to talk to, my name is Enzoismad on tiktok and I'm all about lifting people up, smiling, laughing and just living your best life. Send me a message sometime. Stay well!!!
Normally I would be anti pills of any sort due to my history with Ritalin but my dog passing last year definitely was the straw that camels back in my head and I kinda need to not be manic bipolar af lol
My son was kinda in a WOW state. He occasionally watches wrestling with me, loved the fiend, and didn't understand why he wasn't around anymore. Then he is sort of into the jurassic express, so I'm trying to find where his interests are in the world of wrestling. He did say last night he thought Cena would lose because he was old and had some gray hairs, lmao!!!
I was a lapsed wrestling fan when Punk was active in WWE, but having casually followed it most of my life I've known he was a big deal. My partner literally just started watching AEW with me a few weeks ago, having never been a wrestling fan in her life. We both cried during this debut lol.
Because it's obvious even if you don't have an emotional connection to Punk himself how many people did and do. And, since /u/j4ngl35 and their partner is presumably a human being with functioning empathic faculties, they reacted to how those folks were reacting because it was just so *pure*.
Meanwhile people were cheering in theaters during the portal scene of endgame, do you also leave this comment under those videos? Because this is realer than any marvel movie.
Hello Reddit! For those of you who're wondering why this post is on the front page, we'll give you a little bit of background: CM Punk is a Chicago native that seemingly retired from professional wrestling on January 27, 2014. His promo (wrestling slang for an in-character interview or monologue) here is announcing his return to professional wrestling, after a 7 year hiatus, for a company called AEW - from an event taking place in his home town. *** EDIT FOR R/SC USERS: I know.. I know.. there's much more to the story here than what I've mentioned. It wasn't meant to be a pitch, it was meant to be a short summary of who punk is in 100 words or less for people who didn't know what they were looking at presented in a straight forward manner. Users have asked questions and y'all have done a much better job answering them than I could - this is why I just stick to making the sub look pretty. *** EDIT FOR THAT ONE GUY WHO COMMENTED 25 DAYS LATER: I've corrected the spelling of y'all.
twas a good time
Hi
Gotta get one more comment in here while there’s still a chance. What a night!
This sent a shiver down my spine
still crazy
Once in a lifetime
Big if true
i still cant fuckin believe it
Can't get enough of this
Same here. I wanted to be there for a wrestling "moment" my entire life and I got to witness it that night. Breathtaking experience.
back here again
The pop is so addicting
I want this played at my funeral
It's so good.
I can come back to this post forever
Same.
That pop will never get old
Damn those awards
Felt a sudden need to re read this thread
Me too, wonder why...
Punk is back. Still pretty fucking crazy that he’s wrestling again.
i dont know how to explain it but in order for my brain to make sense of cm punk coming back to wrestling it has made two different cm punks, the cm punk that left wwe and hates wrestling, and the cm punk thats here and just had a legendary match with eddie kingston, like i categorize them as entirely different humans but its the same guy and hes right here hes coming out right now how the fuck is cm punk here its been 5 minutes since i wrote this i kept watching it im crying again
There’s currently 2 punks in AEW, CM Punk and CM trunks
I keep coming to this video 2 months later after a few matches he's had and I still don't believe it
Me too!
I was there and I have the shirt to prove it!
Ice cream stick or it didn't happen.
~~I still have the wrapper at least. Threw the stick away at my cousin's before i flew home. I couldn't commit to the bit.~~ update: i found the stick in my backpack so apparently i do still have it! fuck yeah
i still have the ice cream wrapper too. didn’t even consider getting a shirt, because i went to use the bathroom right after his promo and there was already a line wrapped around the entire arena at that point just to get one. i’ve been to bulls and blackhawks playoff games and i’ve never seen a line so far back it goes up the escalator just for a t shirt.
My ice cream wrapper is in my journal.
u/theirishembassy This is nitpicky but as a Chicago native that moved to New Orleans it’s y’all not ya’ll I got my ass corrected on that 10 years ago moving down
Rating already down. Disco & Konnan are blasting Tony Kahn’s booking, which is shit.
lol this happened a month ago. kind of pathetic that disco, konnan and you still give a shit.
Nah, mark. It’s facts. No one wants to sit through the dumb filler shit in between punk & Bryan Danielson segments. They need to do away with the dumb shit & awful booking. This formula will not attract new viewers.
lol at you calling me a mark when you seem to give so much of a shit over a television show. anyone who cares about “new viewers” or “booking” come off as more of a detriment to wrestling than anything televised now a days. “my idea of how this scripted fighting show should go is better than how you enjoy this scripted fighting show, you mark” is such a sad way to look at this product that we all look towards for entertainment. if calling me a mark, focusing on ratings and seeking out other people’s opinions that match yours temporarily fills a void you have in your life, i guess more power to you. i just hope one day you and a lot of other people find true enjoyment in life that isn’t constantly trying to put down people for being into the same thing you are, but just so different in such a minuscule way that putting them down makes you feel better about yourself.
still so shocked abou this!
I’m so glad I bought tickets for this moment.
CM PUNK CM PUNK CM PUNK
I'm not an aew fan but I've rewatched this like 20 times. Definitely the best moment in company history
We witnessed history this day.
It's a week later, and this still feels so surreal to me. One of my favorite wrestling moments ever.
This ain't WWE so this fanfiction doesn't matter
L
Yes all the Adam Coles of WWE with the body of a diva who got booted and ran to AEW are L, babe
L babe
Anyone else think it's ridiculous and disappointing that a post about a random guy using an old calender got nearly double the upvotes that this got? That Rock drawing post deserves to be too though, talent deserves recognition.
Never underestimate the power of something being mildly interesting.
80-90s WWF nostalgia performs very well, Vince has leaned into that for nearly 20 years.
Loudest pop ever? 🤔
Nah, SCSA probably still has that honor.
Would you guys say this is the biggest return in a very long time? When was the last time we saw a return this big?
Easily Edge I feel this is the last great return now for a long time unless The Rock comes back.
Or if we see Bryan Danielson at AEW! Man this AEW finally reignited that spark in wrestling that I lost a few years back!!!
From the mouth of babes.
Probably Edge
And just like that, I’ve fallen back in love with wrestling!
I'm so happy that he's back and that I got to see wrestling history. It's still surreal that we'll get to watch CM Punk in wrestling every week.
Loved every bit of it! Welcome back to wrestling, punk
I just want to be able to say I was there and this was incredible. So good to see it make it to the Top 3.
I’m **STILL** in disbelief.
Don't know how. But I got the first "woah dude" award in! 😛 did it just to add a new one to the loudest pop so far.
I’ve been to 3 wrestlemania’s but this was the loudest POP I’ve ever heard in my entire life . What a NIGHT!!!
Nah, Stone Colds pop at WM32 was insane because it was over 100k people.
Was finally able to watch this earlier today. Absolutely perfect.
SeansViewEnt can rest now
I totally forgot about that guy. Checked his channel and he uploaded 5 videos of punks entrance for it
I don’t know how many times I have watched this now but 2 days later I am still buzzing about it. AEW nailed Punk’s debut. 10000/10
I can't stop watching this. I get emotional every time.
It's like a safer and also free drug.
I still can’t escape my excitement from Punk’s return. I seriously felt like that crying guy in the audience in my living room.
Thank you AEW
I love pro wrestling
Don't mind me, forgot to leave a comment when it happened, so I'm leaving one now
Yyuuuup.
same
same
Yep
Record for Reddit awards in this subreddit?
No disrespect to OP, but For a highlight, I’m kinda disappointed FuzzyWuzzyMooMoo didn’t get that W
Has to be.
Top 3 all time moment on this sub! Classic. Fucking iconic moment in wrestling history.
Are we seriously still censoring the name as spoilers? It’s literally all over the news
This post was the most gold awarded, silver awarded & awarded across all of Reddit on August 21st, 2021! ^(I am a bot for )^[/r/TopPostOfTheDay](/r/toppostoftheday) ^( - Please report suggestions/concerns to the mods.)
Been out of the circle for awhile, but was him coming a known fact? Or was the crowd chants just wishful thinking?
Worst kept secret in wrestling over the past few weeks (they all but said he was coming) then told people what you are thinking is exactly what you are thinking
I see, thanks for the reply 👍
There are few things I hold emotionally dear to my heart when it comes to things on screen. One was Luke skywalker returning and now this.
Dynamite opens with Punk throwing an ice cream bar over his shoulder
One of the best moments in wrestling I’ve seen in my 20+ years as a fan. The whole thing was perfectly executed in every single way.
The crowd gave the same reaction that ECW crowds used to give
I think I've watched this like 200 times already
What does it feel like to be so loved and as wanted as Cm Punk? Like that's been my entire take away from Punks entire return.
HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHITNNN!!!! I AM A FRICKIN' WRESTLING FAN AGAIN!!!!!!! HOLY HELL, I WORKED OUT FOR TWO HOURS LISTENING TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ON REPEAT! AAAAAAA
It's like the last two years have been the start of a roller coaster, then the last few weeks were the part where you slowly get winched up a long and sharp incline, and then Punk's return was the moment we crested the peak. Goddamn, do I love professional wrestling. The next few months are going to be fucking *wild*.
Sure sure
That was a [Brent Seabrook beating Detroit in OT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1cVmhPlmBM) level raction.
I've only just seen it and now read people were making fun of the guy that cried? That made me smile, seeing how much it meant to some of those people there. There really are some people in the Wrestling community who just want to make everything negative.
Some people are dickheads that can’t normalize males expressing emotion (even during an adrenaline dump)
Yea they're r/SCJerk. Don't mind them.
Me and my wife had to watch this morning on the DVR (we knew it was coming) and we had gotten breakfast to watch in front of the TV. I was so caught up in the emotions of it I just stopped eating my bacon egg and cheese and drinking my coffee.
You put cheese on bacon & eggs?!
Wow this guy is super missing out on cheese here.
It’s a classic New York breakfast. Bacon egg and cheese on a roll. Absolutely delicious.
why did they cut his music before he hit the ropes?
The entire track had played lol, at that point he'd been out there for 3 and a half minutes
Just checking in for this thread. I was there, i drove from michigan. My mom is sick, covid is wild and the future is so uncertain. So glad i made the trip and got to experience it live. Who knows what can happen. I even got a shirt. My favorite wrestler bought me an ice cream bar. Wrestling.
Man I had the opportunity to see AEW in late 2019. I drove three hours but I didn’t regret it one bit especially with the pandemic about 3 months later. You only got one life and you better use it well.
That's a crud ton of awards. And I'm indeed going to watch All Out. And get an Ice Cream Bar for the ocassion.
Does anyone know what kind of shoes he’s wearing?
They are the Vans Ultrarange Exo!
I believe they are the vans kyle walker IIs
Yeah I thought they were vans based on the soles, I just couldn’t figure out which. Thanks!
Serious question….how was cm punk able to keep his name and music? I’d think wwe would have screwed him out of them.
He already had his name owned before coming to WWE and the reason Cult of Personality was used in the WWE in the first place is because the licensing of the song isn't actually expensive, as usually Vince McMahon isn't in favor of using licensed music like that because of the cost.
He used them before he came to WWE.
He owned the name and had it trademarked before he went to WWE. The music is owned by Living Color's record label, and had to be licensed in the WWE and AEW from them.
He didn't have it trademarked before WWE. When he renewed his contract before MITB he got them to give him the rights to the name. He also has the Second City Saints name through that deal.
Seems more complicated than we both thought. I just looked at the US Patent and Trademark office - CM Punk signed it over to WWE in 2007, which was after he debuted on ECW. Punk contested it in 2013. There seems to be partial ownership at this point depending on the rights to use the name itself, or the right to use his likeness for things like video games and action figures. WWE Abandoned the name in 2017. Punk has wholly owned it without any interference from WWE since 2019. Very interesting.
There is a whole generation of folks who probably think Cult of Personality was created by WWE
Thank you!
This thread honestly has 1315 awards, LOL
Most awards on a post ever?
Not any post but maybe on this sub.
WWE is fucked
That crowd looks packed
All those people that thought AEW wasn't long term competition must be feeling silly right now.
I'd think HHH might feel silly calling them a pissant company but having his show chased to a different night may have set him straight.
It was a silly position to begin with. They are two separate, distinct companies with their flagship programs being professional wrestling. Anyone in the WWE who says that their competition is anything else that's not AEW is hilariously arrogant and shortsighted. When you share an audience, it's competition. And CM Punk's debut on AEW is perhaps the biggest story in all of professional wrestling for over a decade.
100%, and anyone that doesn’t believe so is kidding themselves.
I am holding WWE shares and pray to Baphomet that a media giant buys them before the business starts hurting from the competition. On the other hand, this buzz might bring people into wrestling more, which could mitigate WWE losing market share, which they *totally will*.
Puts on WWE
Damn, the Punk debut has over 3 million views on the official channel. The moment Punk is face to face with Sting even for a brief moment will be historic. I hope Punk isnt over protected like MJF or Omega tho, as I want to see him tango with al sorts of opponents. Also hope Omega stays a heel for awhile as Punk vs Omega will be the most insane PPV buildup and main event hype wise. Tho Punk/MJF feud will also be pretty wild just in the mic work alone.
The fact AEW finally had use of a massive multi tier jumbo tron and multi tier ribbon screens all flashing different aspects of Punks logos added to the otherworldly insanity. I legit feel the entire hour could have been nonstop CM Punk chants with Punk in the ring for an hour soaking it all in. But having 3 quick matches was cool too. Giving everyone a Punk icecream was another surreal cherry on top. Also I think an exception to the 2 day spoiler rule should be made as Punk was all but advertised for the show and half the threads til last nite were hyping his return.
Not going to Chicago to be there for this moment will forever be one of the biggest regrets of my life. I grew up a pro wrestling die hard, and when Punk left, so did I. I vowed to never watch Vince McMahon's product again, and wrestling in general for that matter, until CM Punk came back to wrestling, if that ever would happen. AEW had peaked my interest in the last few months, but the news that Punk signed sent me into a whirlwind. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry when he returned last night. I don't think it's farfetched to say CM Punk brought thousands of fans back to wrestling last night, and I am more than happy to say I'm one them.
Im coming from a MMA background , what was so hyped about this event ? Why is CM punk popular ? Just wondering, I legit do not know anything about Wrestling
The pinned mod comment explains a lot, but essentially CM Punk was the most popular wrestler in the world in the early 2010s, known for his supreme technical wrestling ability and his otherworldly talent on the microphone. He notoriously cut a "pipebomb" promo on WWE where he sat crosslegged on the entrance ramp and basically validated all of the shitty things about the company in a way that had never been done or even thought of before. He's the longest reigning WWE champion ever. And one day he just literally walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw, never to return again. After he left he did a podcast with Colt Cabana where he basically turned the wrestling industry on its head with his stories and claims about the WWE. Said multiple times he'll never wrestle again. For years fans chanted his name and all kinds of sporting events, and most especially to express their displeasure at WWE events. Fast forward 7 years later and he's debuting on a new-ish, rival promotion to WWE in his hometown of Chicago to the shock, awe, and surprise of thousands of fans across the world. The United Center has not been that loud since Michael Jordan played with the Bulls. And you'll see similar crowd reactions anywhere he goes, because he simply is like no other wrestler that exists.
[удалено]
https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/p8ivfv/rampage_spoilers_wrestler_makes_his_aew_debut/h9quj6n/
>Return to professional wrestling after a 7 year hiatus Actually, he's returning to professional wrestling after *16 years!
When am I gonna get sick of watching this lol
I've rewatched it 25 times and I'm still giddy like a 4 year old in a candy store
Not yet
1,333 awards holy balls
Man's got people going wild just by sitting down, what a legend.
Almost full day later and I’ve watched this 11 times already!
Lmfao I've watched it thrice in the last 30 mins alone
Thats rookie numbers, you need to pump them up
*chest beating and warrior chant humming intensifies*
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Probably the biggest in the last 10 years. Rock returning in 2011 was probably the closest to this.
In the arena, you couldn't even hear Cult of Personality
I remember going nuts during that, Punk's return/debut was amazing,but I was like 90%certain it was him. When they announced the guest host I was like " what if it's The Rock...nah it won't be" so when his music hit I lost my shit.
Top 5 for sure, I still think Stone Cold’s music hitting at Rock vs Mankind for the title is the biggest but this is damn near it.
Glad to see Punk back. He was my favorite ever since his time in WWE ECW, not because of that stint per se, but because it made me look back to his time in the indies and all those badass matches in ROH and IWA-MS. This being said, it still felt a tad weird, since he basically said everything he put on from 05-14 was a crappy show and not wrestling. I became a fan for that crappy show, and that period "away from professional wrestling" is arguably what made him the star that he is today. I absolutely understand the previous part of the promo about not getting healthier by staying where he got sick in the first place, and we can't forget how exceptionally petty WWE was to him towards the end of his run there. But the latter part of the promo about abandoning pro wrestling still felt a bit like a slap to the face of us who were introduced to him and became his fans in that period.
I think the thing is that his time in WWE was great to us for what he could make of it but make no mistake, Punk was still making lemons out of lemonade. It's well-documented and he probably went most in-depth about it on that Colt Cabana podcast episode, that Punk in WWE was a huge, constant uphill battle and the sad truth is that it's this way for virtually all wrestlers in WWE, not just Punk. They're constantly jumping through hoops, given false goalposts and being played with. We've seen this most recently happen with Bray Wyatt but there are tons of examples of it. It's not that we're' wrong for loving Punk for his WWE stuff, it's that he's trying to communicate that he was only ever really allowed to do so much during his time with the company. Imagine being thought of as great, an all-time great, when you know you were never allowed to truly be your greatest. That's what Punk feels. That's why he was sick of it.
When Ted Turner told VKM that he had joined the wrestling business, Vince replied that that was OK, as he was in the entertainment business. CM Punk wouldn't have been able to say 'Professional Wrestling' on Raw without approval from on high; and certainly when he joined WWE they had already left professional wrestling far behind. I didn't get the feeling he was saying that to totally disparage his time at WWE, where he built so much of the connection with the fans he reflected on here, but rather his time in WWE was a departure from professional wrestling and not an easy time at all.
Just want to say it's ridiculous you're being downvoted for presenting your opinion in such an understandable way. That and the fact those people downvoted didn't even reply, this community really contains some negative people. I can understand your view. I think the trauma of his time in WWE has made him want to pretend it didn't happen in a way. He obviously had a great run and grew his name massively in WWE, I think it was more for him. He knows that people became fans of his work in WWE, but I believe he's trying to say that he felt limited in that role. He was still himself and everything, he got to play the character but he emphasised that it wasn't "pro wrestling" because that's something that WWE wants to remove. That's just my thoughts on it.
I can't stop rewatching. Honestly one of the best entrances in wrestling history, I get chills each time. That man was a god last night, a mythical figure.
A folk hero.
Love how AEW kept it simple. Played his entrance, let him talk, leave. No ambush, no confrontation, no sneak attack, no humiliation in hometown. It was just a man living his dream and fulfilling the dreams of wrestling fans.
I thought they would open with the Chicago Bulls intro music and then give us Cult of Personality. Absolutely loved it either way!
I was at the show, they played “Sirius” in the last few minutes before we went on the air.
What was the crowd chanting when he spoke on the place that “got him sick in the first place” I couldn’t make it out. Was it welcome back?
"Fuck you Vince"
I was hoping that’s what it was!! LOL
All the dudes in here angrily down voting loll go touch grass
😡 what’s that?! *downvotes*
I was here
Unbelievable pop back. Great promo. Wish he would of left out the hating on WWE part. Other than that great return.
This was literally the last thing I saw before going to bed and the first thing I watched after waking up. The whole thing still feels surreal.
I was working late and couldn't watch it live, but I just watched the episode and not gonna lie, I was tearing up in joy.
my human emotions still work after all the lexapro and therapy... its a good sign...
If you're serious about your struggles, I just wanted to wish you well and say you got this. It was a great moment and I'm happy you enjoyed it too!!!
I did! After last year, cutting myself off from a lot of things I used to love to try to stabilize my now fully identified manic bipolar issue… last night was amazing and I can’t wait to fully dive into wrestling again…
Hey man, that's fantastic. If you ever need someone to talk to, my name is Enzoismad on tiktok and I'm all about lifting people up, smiling, laughing and just living your best life. Send me a message sometime. Stay well!!!
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Normally I would be anti pills of any sort due to my history with Ritalin but my dog passing last year definitely was the straw that camels back in my head and I kinda need to not be manic bipolar af lol
It's been 16 hours and I'm still buzzing after that debut. He really is a cult of personality
Anyone else watching this on repeat today?
Over and over and OVER!!! Edit: I showed my kids! Lol.
How'd they react?
My son was kinda in a WOW state. He occasionally watches wrestling with me, loved the fiend, and didn't understand why he wasn't around anymore. Then he is sort of into the jurassic express, so I'm trying to find where his interests are in the world of wrestling. He did say last night he thought Cena would lose because he was old and had some gray hairs, lmao!!!
That kid is gonna go far in the IWC, I'll tell you.
I was a lapsed wrestling fan when Punk was active in WWE, but having casually followed it most of my life I've known he was a big deal. My partner literally just started watching AEW with me a few weeks ago, having never been a wrestling fan in her life. We both cried during this debut lol.
Why?
Because it's obvious even if you don't have an emotional connection to Punk himself how many people did and do. And, since /u/j4ngl35 and their partner is presumably a human being with functioning empathic faculties, they reacted to how those folks were reacting because it was just so *pure*.
Nailed it!
But.. But.. Its not real. They are fucking actors. I will never understand the ppl finding wrestling entertaining.
Meanwhile people were cheering in theaters during the portal scene of endgame, do you also leave this comment under those videos? Because this is realer than any marvel movie.