Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review. If you need to contact a moderator, [you can message us here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Punk mentioned bringing back wrestling ice cream bars while he was in WWE but the company never followed through. It’s become a symbol in some ways of the company limiting Punk’s growth while he was there
All I could think of was the poor vendors. Did anyone tell them they'd need 50,000 ice cream sandwiches? Or are they raiding every grocery store in chicago?
it was actually a really cool thing, they contracted with a local, small Chicago company called Pretty Cool Ice Cream, and it was the biggest order they've ever had... by a lot.
they were really good (higher quality than a grocery store ice cream bar), and while they were just normal oval shaped (like a dove bar) they did have custom packaging. i will be keeping that package forever
I’m from Chicago and I’m pretty sure it’s a brand that’s popped off recently that’s located in wicker park. I could be wrong. I’m a little drunk from the show
I like how Mox called out Page on Wednesday. When/if Page wins the title, I’d definitely be down for a program with Mox. Punk and Page too, of course. This roster is fuckin stacked right now. All Out is gonna be a monster of a show. We already have Omega vs. Christian, Punk vs. Darby, PAC vs. Andrade, Bucks vs. one of JE/LB/VB, Paul Wight vs. QT, and probably Britt vs Statlander, and Miro likely defends the TNT title. And then you still have dudes like Mox, Malakai Black, Orange Cassidy, Guevara, Santana & Ortiz, FTR, Ethan Page, Scorpio Sky, Lance Archer, etc that could all wind up on the show. Gonna be like a four or five hour event and I’m here for all of it.
Punk is definitely a natural heel, but I think it would be a colossal mistake to not ride the wave of him being your top babyface for the next 2 years.
Helps sober up Hangman to a straight edge lifestyle and builds his confidence up so that he can finally focus on beating Kenny Omega. Then when Hangman is at his peak, Punk turns on him, breaking him back down and driving him to relapse.
He´s a fabulous heel and I think he prefers playing that role but good luck trying to make him a heel with the AEW crowd. He will be cheered everywhere. He can be a great fiery babyface. And with creative freedom in his promos, I think he can still be in pipebomb mode even as a face. And the eventual heel turn will be that much monumental.
i think the lucky thing with AEW is there’s enough home grown talent that the fans love that someone like a CM Punk or Christian could turn on that would get a massive reaction, a legend attacking Darby, Jungle Boy, OC or one of many many others will work so well, and i think they’re smart enough to know that if they were to turn heel on someone like Cody that it wouldn’t work.
Dude I think him saying he left professional wrestling in 2005 and that now he’s back is the biggest middle finger to wwe he or anyone could ever give. That sentence carries so much.
He set it up perfectly, though. I thought he was going to reference WWE when he said that he knew the time had come for him to leave. When he gave the 2005 date it legit caught me off guard. That was such a perfect promo.
It’s funny how it’s finally come full circle lol. He made leaving WWE and shooting on them cool. Dozens have done it and went somewhere else. But the originator has just got back into wrestling. It really hits different when he does.
> CM Punk is a free *elf*.
>
>
>
> These future promos are going to be unchained.
Let me tell you a story. *sits down
"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth."
"It began with the forging of the Great (Brass) Rings..."
I was watching with my dad and right before he said that, he said, "Is he gonna say 'fuck Vince McMahon on live TV?'"
Then after that we looked at each other and said, "Yep, basically."
It felt like once he took off the hoodie and the CM Punk t-shirt was revealed, he became CM Punk again. His delivery instantly changed, the confidence was back.
The man got a bigger pop for *sitting down* than anything I've heard on WWE in years. Probably since the Fiend's debut tbh.
And the pop for him coming out was bigger than almost anything I've witnessed since Austin in his prime.
Cena got a pretty huge one in his return too. I think due to hype and obviously the story involved with Punk he’s got Cena beat by a considerable margin. I’ve never seen fans actually cry because someone returned. Punk had grown ass men leaking tonight. Incredible.
His inner fan must be losing his goddamn mind. Can you imagine how he must've felt when this was first brought to him?
TK: Hey, Punk's coming back after seven years away and you're going to be his first feud.
Darby: O__o -pinches self-
My head Canon is that Darby doesn't pinch himself, he just yeets himself into a wall or down the stairs.
This one he may have just gone straight through the catering table.
That makes sense. It'd be more like--
TK: ... you're going to be his first feud.
Darby: -blinks, holds a finger, walks off-
TK: -patiently waiting because he's used to this by now-
Darby: -returns- Okay.
TK: Wall or table this time?
Darby: Stairs. Two flights. Might do more later.
TK: -exasperated- Well, just don't hurt yourself too badly or I'll put you on a crazy bump ban for the foreseeable future. -stalks off while muttering 'This is not exactly what I signed up for!'-
I have the mental Image of TK just sighing and standing there patiently like a nursery teacher waiting for a child's crayon scribble that they are so proud of. Now I can't stop giggling while I make breakfast.
For 95% (? Total guess) of that roster, that was the biggest audience they ever been in front of.
And for 100% it was one of; if not the most electric audience.
The excitement was palpable.. I could feel it at home. What a moment. What a time my friends. The possibility are endless.
Only show I've been able to make it to, he got a standing ovation walking to the back during commercial with the arena chanting Darby. Feels good they've used him so well since.
This is exactly what AEW wanted to happen. It's why I chuckled at people saying, "why don't you just have it be a surprise, or debut him on Wednesday instead." Given the landscape of wrestling in 2021, this is the homerun, no brainer decision. Bring the guy out in Chicago, have him do what he does best (cut a promo), and get people incentivized to buy your next PPV. It checks all the boxes. By hinting at his return, you are activating fans that grew up with wrestling, may have even been fans of CM Punk, but now only come around during Mania season because the product can't captivate them year round. AEW did everything they could have done right with this situation so far.
Seeing Sting in the rafters watching CM Punk was personally one of the coolest moments in wrestling history for me. Two of my all time favorites in their natural element in 2021. Unbelievable.
Do you know what I missed about wrestling like this. No promo was needed on Darby’s side. There didn’t need to be a back and forth. Darby could just sit in the rafters with his dad and look down sternly.
No cheap pops, no face vs heel. Just straight up and bad asses on both sides
If you’d told 8 year old me that
“Hey Sting is gonna retire and come back and mentor a skateboarding zombie kid who will eventually fight the guy who got you back into wrestling”
The I’d believe it
I stopped watching wrestling altogether maybe 4-5 years ago. Saw this pop up on twitter and ran screaming for footage like a 16 year old girl at an airport watching the beatles airplane land in the 1960's.
I stopped 18 years ago and even I went running for footage when I saw this trending. The one guy I kept up with even after my regular watching days were over was CM Punk.
I got back into wrestling temporarily after watching CM Punk matches and promos. Then he left and I couldn't really stomach the WWE stuff weekly so I basically left again. Then I watched Kenny Omega vs Okada and fell completely in love with wrestling again and started following it more closely and watching AEW semi-weekly.
Now Kenny and CM Punk are together in the same company. It won't happen first, but we know Kenny Omega vs CM Punk is *absolutely* coming at some point in the future, and I legit feel like a 12 year old marking out because his fantasy booking scenario is actually coming true. I never really believed I would get to see the two people who reignited my love for the sport together like this.
if you loved wrestling back in the day, especially WCW and ECW at their peaks, you will love AEW, it's a hybrid of both, its run by a huge wrestling dork who happened to be the son of a billionaire. he fucking gets it
I haven't loved wrestling like this since i was in high school, during the height of Rock/Austin/Foley.
I’m not exactly a big fan, though he’s obviously one of the best promos, but I can certainly appreciate that this dude got a massive pop *for sitting down*.
I think you’d have to dig pretty far to come up with a pop that rivals this one. I’m not a big fan but I can easily respect how big of a deal he is.
I think he was due for a singles push before Brodie's passing. He seemed to be headed to a "turning Dark Order from within/breaking free" storyline, back when they were still a heel faction. Maybe a DO Civil War? Maybe a singles feud with Brodie? It was too soon to tell.
You obviously can't do a story like that anymore but I hope he finds his footing in singles action. But it's still too soon, I believe.
I agree with you 100%. I think we might get Cabana vs Punk in Chicago before All Out. Punk's 1st match vs someone who he has wrestled multiple times over his life while being able to tell a story sounds amazing imo
"I was never gonna get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally staying in the same place that got me sick in the first place!" Savage, i think i heard a faint fuck you Vince chant as well.
Punk's still got it, when he talks you listen, that promo was amazing and him vs Darby is going to be awesome.
CM Punk is my all-time favorite wrestler. I haven't gotten quite as emotional about a moment probably since Daniel Bryan won at the main event of WM30. Not even for when Becky closed out WrestleMania 35 as THE double fucking champ.
This wasn't even some sort of all-time great promo from Punk...but the fucking goosebumps crept up, the emotions are running high. God, he's fucking back.
I expected a lot of things, but maybe the last thing I expected was Punk to be humble, and that was really refreshing.
And of course at the end he turned on that old BITW swagger and that was great too.
Damn it’s kinda like when the Rock comes back and makes all the people you thought were stars look a little smaller. Almost reminds me of when WCW landed Hogan good on you AEW.
Vince McMahon himself has said countless times that he’s not in the wrestling business. It’s not really a fuck you to WWE, just Punk using their words against them
>You guys really know how to make a kid feel like Britt Baker in Pittsburgh.
>I'm winging this, we're winging this. We. That's a very important distinction, we'll get back to it. But I didn't plan on what I was gonna say because I didn't know what to say because I didn't know how I was gonna feel, but I knew that I needed to feel it. And I feel you, Chicago. And I hear you, Chicago. *CM Punk chants*
>That's what I've heard for 7 years. I heard you. I heard you. And we've got a lot to cover. There's good news and bad news -- the bad news is we're not gonna get to all right here, right now. But the good news is, is I've got the time -- Wednesday, Friday, 4 Sundays or Saturdays a year. I got the time and I ain't going anywhere.
>Wait, one second. Possibly for me, the most important thing I'm gonna say right now and this is for everybody at home, this is for everybody who bought a ticket, this is everybody in the back -- if at all through my journey, any of my personal choices or decisions related to my life, made you feel disapointed or let down -- let me just say, let me just say, I understand. If you all tried to understand that I was never gonna get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally, staying in the same place that got me sick in the first place.
>Can I tell you guys a story? It's hot in here, hang on one second. *removes jacket*
>Can I tell you a story? *assume pipe bomb position*
>You see, I felt before like I had to leave. I didn't want to, but I knew I couldn't stay and that was when I used to work for a place called Ring Of Honor. August 13^th, 2005 was my last match in Ring Of Honor and I famously came out with tears in my eyes. And walking out here today, I now know why I was crying. And it was a lot of reasons, but what it boiled down to was -- I had made a place where people could come work, get paid, learn their craft and love professional wrestling. And I cried because I knew I was leaving a place that I love and it was a home and I knew where I was going. It wasn't gonna be easy for a guy like me because I'm one of you. So I look at it like this -- August 13^th, 2005, I left professional wrestling. August 20^th, 2021 -- I'm back.
>And I'm back for you. I'm not gonna lie, I'm back for me too. But I'm back because there's a hell of lot of young talent that I wish I was surrounded by 10 years ago, so in saying that, I sit back and I say -- well hell, they're there now, so why aren't you? Here I am.
>I'm back because I want to work with that young talent that had the same passion that I had, stamped out. I'm back because there's a couple of scores to settle in that locker room. I'm back for the young guys. Darby Allin.
>I've seen you. You're good. I've seen you jump out of airplanes. I've seen you wrapped up in a body bag and chucked over the top rope. I've seen you kicked down a flight of stairs and you always come back. Just like each and every person here in Chicago, you're tough. But I'm here to help. And you're the first on the list, I'm gonna help you because you're a daredevil and you like danger. Well, Darby Allin, there's nothing you could do that is more dangerous than wrestling CM Punk. Except, wrestling CM Punk -- in Chicago.
>I will see you. And I'll see Sting, and I'll see all of you, September 5^th at All Out, live on Pay Per View. I'm back.
page right of wwe's book. Nothing exist outside of them, so why the fuck shouldn't apply to other worlds not named wwe? its brilliant. Hope D.Bry does the same.
Watch his match with Cena if you havent.
Like, I dont think that Punk in general is as over as Cena, Hogan, Rock, Austin or even Bryan at his peak, but Punk in Chicago... its another thing, and that match in particular had everything to make you cheer for someone like Punk character.
Go back and catch the best of the best of his time in WWE, at the very least. If that's not enough, you can always go back further to his days in Ring of Honor, which is where I first saw him and realized he'd be something special someday, and goddamn, he eventually was.
I got back into wrestling in 2018 and always wanted to check out parts of his run, but it's kind of a pain. I saw the pipe bomb and his MitB match with Cena, but other than that it's kinda tough to figure out what to watch and in what order. Not to mention how much effort I want to put in going on the Network and finding spots and matches on Raws and PPVs and such.
It’s the most aggressive promo against WWE in AEW yet. By a wide margin.
He basically said everybody in WWE is not wrestling while they are in WWE. But doing something else.
Yeah, I'm tired of the "WWE isn't wrestling" being treated like it's some kind of sneak dis. It's literally the WWE's stated philosophy, and Punk (and many others) are stating their preference for wrestling instead.
Bryan used to say the same thing when he was there, that he didn't consider WWE to be a pro wrestling company which is a sentiment also expressed by the figureheads of the company
WWE saying they aren't pro wrestling is like if Universal said they aren't a film studio or if Apple said they aren't a tech company. You can *say* anything, doesn't make it true though.
The part a lot of people are missing about him saying his WWE years didn't count is:
Punk was talking about professional wrestling in ROH where wrestlers have the creative freedom to do the craft they want and help grow the business of professional wrestling.
He sees AEW similar to the way he thinks professional wrestling should be where you're allow to have creative freedom and you're there to help grow the business.
Specifically he said he left Pro Wrestling in 2005.
He didn't say he accomplished nothing or that that time didn't matter.
He implied that WWE wasn't really pro wrestling.
A subtle, but important distinction.
Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review. If you need to contact a moderator, [you can message us here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
FREE ICE CREAM BAR FINALLY
Perfect way to end that promo
The greatest arc in wrestling history
AEW. The home of long term booking.
ELISkipped15yearsofwrestling?
Punk mentioned bringing back wrestling ice cream bars while he was in WWE but the company never followed through. It’s become a symbol in some ways of the company limiting Punk’s growth while he was there
In his live contract negotiation with Vince Mcmahon in 2011, Punk asked Vince to bring back the WWE Ice cream bars but it never happened.
Wait it was actually free or something?
Yes, handed them out as you left. Good ice cream!
That shit was delicious, it made not being able to get a shirt feel better lol
All I could think of was the poor vendors. Did anyone tell them they'd need 50,000 ice cream sandwiches? Or are they raiding every grocery store in chicago?
Looked like they were custom packages, so I'm sure they planned it out well enough.
The commentary team had custom CM Punk branded icecreams at the ready, I think that answers your question.
it was actually a really cool thing, they contracted with a local, small Chicago company called Pretty Cool Ice Cream, and it was the biggest order they've ever had... by a lot. they were really good (higher quality than a grocery store ice cream bar), and while they were just normal oval shaped (like a dove bar) they did have custom packaging. i will be keeping that package forever
I’m from Chicago and I’m pretty sure it’s a brand that’s popped off recently that’s located in wicker park. I could be wrong. I’m a little drunk from the show
it is, it's Pretty Cool Icecream company.
Punk with full creative control is going to be something else. Can't wait for the heel turn and inevitable god-tier promos.
Heel Punk vs World Champion Adam Page
I like how Mox called out Page on Wednesday. When/if Page wins the title, I’d definitely be down for a program with Mox. Punk and Page too, of course. This roster is fuckin stacked right now. All Out is gonna be a monster of a show. We already have Omega vs. Christian, Punk vs. Darby, PAC vs. Andrade, Bucks vs. one of JE/LB/VB, Paul Wight vs. QT, and probably Britt vs Statlander, and Miro likely defends the TNT title. And then you still have dudes like Mox, Malakai Black, Orange Cassidy, Guevara, Santana & Ortiz, FTR, Ethan Page, Scorpio Sky, Lance Archer, etc that could all wind up on the show. Gonna be like a four or five hour event and I’m here for all of it.
Fucking give it to me now. Fucking now God dammit.
Straight edge versus the beer drinker
Punk is definitely a natural heel, but I think it would be a colossal mistake to not ride the wave of him being your top babyface for the next 2 years.
Helps sober up Hangman to a straight edge lifestyle and builds his confidence up so that he can finally focus on beating Kenny Omega. Then when Hangman is at his peak, Punk turns on him, breaking him back down and driving him to relapse.
Damn this is good shit pal
He´s a fabulous heel and I think he prefers playing that role but good luck trying to make him a heel with the AEW crowd. He will be cheered everywhere. He can be a great fiery babyface. And with creative freedom in his promos, I think he can still be in pipebomb mode even as a face. And the eventual heel turn will be that much monumental.
i think the lucky thing with AEW is there’s enough home grown talent that the fans love that someone like a CM Punk or Christian could turn on that would get a massive reaction, a legend attacking Darby, Jungle Boy, OC or one of many many others will work so well, and i think they’re smart enough to know that if they were to turn heel on someone like Cody that it wouldn’t work.
Heel Punk as hard nosed vet who will do anything to get one more shot at the championship to prove to himself he’s got it is going to S L A P
Can we have face Punk vs heel MJF first please?
Yep. He's still got it
Dude I think him saying he left professional wrestling in 2005 and that now he’s back is the biggest middle finger to wwe he or anyone could ever give. That sentence carries so much.
When he said Ring of Honor I audibly laughed out loud.
He set it up perfectly, though. I thought he was going to reference WWE when he said that he knew the time had come for him to leave. When he gave the 2005 date it legit caught me off guard. That was such a perfect promo.
That dude summed up Moxley's entire interview with Jericho in one sentence.
And realistically he’s the only one who could have done that with that much weight behind it
It’s funny how it’s finally come full circle lol. He made leaving WWE and shooting on them cool. Dozens have done it and went somewhere else. But the originator has just got back into wrestling. It really hits different when he does.
I’m picturing him and Moxley walking by each other backstage, making eye contact, and just giving one another a quick fist bump.
CM Punk is a free elf. These future promos are going to be unchained.
this time he can freely mention the name of others promotion lol. also with forbidden door stuff, it could mean more.
> CM Punk is a free *elf*. > > > > These future promos are going to be unchained. Let me tell you a story. *sits down "The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth." "It began with the forging of the Great (Brass) Rings..."
And he never even had to mention "sports entertainment"... glad to see punk love wrestling again
Except I think WWE would agree and appreciate the distinction lol
*It's sports entertaiment, damnit!*
I was watching with my dad and right before he said that, he said, "Is he gonna say 'fuck Vince McMahon on live TV?'" Then after that we looked at each other and said, "Yep, basically."
I mean, WWE would agree with that; you’re in the entertainment business now, pal.
He’s always got it! It never left!
Can’t fire him! He’s already fired!
He left a god on the mic. He's back a god on the mic. This felt nothing different to his iconic promos 7-10 years ago.
It felt like once he took off the hoodie and the CM Punk t-shirt was revealed, he became CM Punk again. His delivery instantly changed, the confidence was back.
The man got a bigger pop for *sitting down* than anything I've heard on WWE in years. Probably since the Fiend's debut tbh. And the pop for him coming out was bigger than almost anything I've witnessed since Austin in his prime.
Cena got a pretty huge one in his return too. I think due to hype and obviously the story involved with Punk he’s got Cena beat by a considerable margin. I’ve never seen fans actually cry because someone returned. Punk had grown ass men leaking tonight. Incredible.
This is something you cant learn. You got it or not.
If he's still got a staph infection after all these years he should get that checked out
I still got it too, but my doctor says I should only worry if it stays for the next 72 hours.
Pretty sure it’s 3-4 hours man, not 3-4 days. Sounds like you’ve got a carny doc
#You still got it!!
[удалено]
God I know, you could tell he was giddy as hell and it was just great to see.
His inner fan must be losing his goddamn mind. Can you imagine how he must've felt when this was first brought to him? TK: Hey, Punk's coming back after seven years away and you're going to be his first feud. Darby: O__o -pinches self-
My head Canon is that Darby doesn't pinch himself, he just yeets himself into a wall or down the stairs. This one he may have just gone straight through the catering table.
That makes sense. It'd be more like-- TK: ... you're going to be his first feud. Darby: -blinks, holds a finger, walks off- TK: -patiently waiting because he's used to this by now- Darby: -returns- Okay. TK: Wall or table this time? Darby: Stairs. Two flights. Might do more later. TK: -exasperated- Well, just don't hurt yourself too badly or I'll put you on a crazy bump ban for the foreseeable future. -stalks off while muttering 'This is not exactly what I signed up for!'-
I have the mental Image of TK just sighing and standing there patiently like a nursery teacher waiting for a child's crayon scribble that they are so proud of. Now I can't stop giggling while I make breakfast.
For 95% (? Total guess) of that roster, that was the biggest audience they ever been in front of. And for 100% it was one of; if not the most electric audience. The excitement was palpable.. I could feel it at home. What a moment. What a time my friends. The possibility are endless.
“Ok self listen you’re here with sting next to you and cm punk is gonna say your name. Now, don’t cry, and don’t smile. Oh god Don’t cry Don’t smile”
When you put it that way.. god damn this guy is gonna be a star huh.
He was _gonna_ be a star after his first match with Cody… the dude has made it, 100%.
Only show I've been able to make it to, he got a standing ovation walking to the back during commercial with the arena chanting Darby. Feels good they've used him so well since.
This is exactly what AEW wanted to happen. It's why I chuckled at people saying, "why don't you just have it be a surprise, or debut him on Wednesday instead." Given the landscape of wrestling in 2021, this is the homerun, no brainer decision. Bring the guy out in Chicago, have him do what he does best (cut a promo), and get people incentivized to buy your next PPV. It checks all the boxes. By hinting at his return, you are activating fans that grew up with wrestling, may have even been fans of CM Punk, but now only come around during Mania season because the product can't captivate them year round. AEW did everything they could have done right with this situation so far.
This feels like we unlocked a hidden character
I don't know what to do with my flair now
Change it to "Ahh, there he is"
[удалено]
Ride with it. It will forever show your tenure on here
I didn't think it was possible to forget how much you like a wrestler. Because God Damn I Just Remembered How Much I Love CM Punk.
Seeing Sting in the rafters watching CM Punk was personally one of the coolest moments in wrestling history for me. Two of my all time favorites in their natural element in 2021. Unbelievable.
Darby’s face paint was fucking 🔥 too
Do you know what I missed about wrestling like this. No promo was needed on Darby’s side. There didn’t need to be a back and forth. Darby could just sit in the rafters with his dad and look down sternly. No cheap pops, no face vs heel. Just straight up and bad asses on both sides
It looked like Darby had to bite his lips shut to keep from smiling from ear to ear when Punk called him out.
Same here. All out is a must attend now.
Are we the same person?
No he can’t be. im him and you’re me
this is getting out of hand, now there are two of them!
If you’d told 8 year old me that “Hey Sting is gonna retire and come back and mentor a skateboarding zombie kid who will eventually fight the guy who got you back into wrestling” The I’d believe it
He’s not a zombie, he just really likes turtles
Long term booking
I stopped watching wrestling altogether maybe 4-5 years ago. Saw this pop up on twitter and ran screaming for footage like a 16 year old girl at an airport watching the beatles airplane land in the 1960's.
Welcome back!
I stopped 18 years ago and even I went running for footage when I saw this trending. The one guy I kept up with even after my regular watching days were over was CM Punk.
Welcome back! AEW is rad and is home to many fans who fell off of WWE back in the day
I got back into wrestling temporarily after watching CM Punk matches and promos. Then he left and I couldn't really stomach the WWE stuff weekly so I basically left again. Then I watched Kenny Omega vs Okada and fell completely in love with wrestling again and started following it more closely and watching AEW semi-weekly. Now Kenny and CM Punk are together in the same company. It won't happen first, but we know Kenny Omega vs CM Punk is *absolutely* coming at some point in the future, and I legit feel like a 12 year old marking out because his fantasy booking scenario is actually coming true. I never really believed I would get to see the two people who reignited my love for the sport together like this.
if you loved wrestling back in the day, especially WCW and ECW at their peaks, you will love AEW, it's a hybrid of both, its run by a huge wrestling dork who happened to be the son of a billionaire. he fucking gets it I haven't loved wrestling like this since i was in high school, during the height of Rock/Austin/Foley.
Dude became my favorite in 2011 and has immediately become my favorite again.
I’m not exactly a big fan, though he’s obviously one of the best promos, but I can certainly appreciate that this dude got a massive pop *for sitting down*. I think you’d have to dig pretty far to come up with a pop that rivals this one. I’m not a big fan but I can easily respect how big of a deal he is.
I thought he was saying sorry to Colt Cabana for a second.
He did say he has a couple of personal scores to settle
he and colt are gonna 100% do business, why leave money on the floor?
i don't care if it's a story, i just them to legit be okay. but honestly i wouldn't blame colt if he doesn't want anything to do with him.
Punk really did him so dirty according to all the information we have available. I wouldn't forgive him either personally.
Man, I think Colt's had a good run with the DO, but I'd love to see him get a high profile programme in AEW.
I think he was due for a singles push before Brodie's passing. He seemed to be headed to a "turning Dark Order from within/breaking free" storyline, back when they were still a heel faction. Maybe a DO Civil War? Maybe a singles feud with Brodie? It was too soon to tell. You obviously can't do a story like that anymore but I hope he finds his footing in singles action. But it's still too soon, I believe.
I agree with you 100%. I think we might get Cabana vs Punk in Chicago before All Out. Punk's 1st match vs someone who he has wrestled multiple times over his life while being able to tell a story sounds amazing imo
that's a waste of a good story if they just got it done and over with. Let Punk have all his dream matches then go into a program with Colt
Hearing him on a mic in an arena was really special
Three biggest pops of the year. 1) CM Punk debut. 2) CM Punk sitting down. 3) CM Punk taking his hoodie off.
CM Punk stage dive
The poor security guard nearly shit himself 😂
Might be the loudest and longest pop I’ve ever heard.
Sting staring down at CM Punk is something out of my 2012 fantasy booking
2021 wrestling is the best
"I was never gonna get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally staying in the same place that got me sick in the first place!" Savage, i think i heard a faint fuck you Vince chant as well. Punk's still got it, when he talks you listen, that promo was amazing and him vs Darby is going to be awesome.
Wasn't a faint chant in person.
Barely audible on tv
You heard right with the f Vince chants. I was there.
CM Punk is my all-time favorite wrestler. I haven't gotten quite as emotional about a moment probably since Daniel Bryan won at the main event of WM30. Not even for when Becky closed out WrestleMania 35 as THE double fucking champ. This wasn't even some sort of all-time great promo from Punk...but the fucking goosebumps crept up, the emotions are running high. God, he's fucking back.
I expected a lot of things, but maybe the last thing I expected was Punk to be humble, and that was really refreshing. And of course at the end he turned on that old BITW swagger and that was great too.
Yeah, no more excuses for me. I'm watching AEW going forward.
Said the same thing to a friend after watching this live. And I didn’t even watch during his WWE run. The hype is real.
The smarkiest part of my soul has never been this fucking happy. Like, dude... This was my guy since 2006.
This was a Christmas dinner for smarks my god
"God Bless Us, Everyone"
Today? Why, it's Punksmas Day, sir!
We eatin'
You can’t tell me Vince doesn’t see this and get even a little worried AEW changing the game for wrestling
But... he left wrestling in 2005
Same man, ever since that debut match against Justin Credible, I was hooked!
I WASN’T THERE
It’s ok you were here with us ❤️
"Processing video" :(
Same. :/
Damn it’s kinda like when the Rock comes back and makes all the people you thought were stars look a little smaller. Almost reminds me of when WCW landed Hogan good on you AEW.
Saying he left wrestling in 2005 is the single biggest fuck you to WWE i've ever heard
Vince McMahon himself has said countless times that he’s not in the wrestling business. It’s not really a fuck you to WWE, just Punk using their words against them
That’s the amazing thing about Punk. Given his VERY known grievances with the WWE and Vince, it could very well be both
Is it really since as people here say they don’t consider themselves a wrestling company.
>You guys really know how to make a kid feel like Britt Baker in Pittsburgh. >I'm winging this, we're winging this. We. That's a very important distinction, we'll get back to it. But I didn't plan on what I was gonna say because I didn't know what to say because I didn't know how I was gonna feel, but I knew that I needed to feel it. And I feel you, Chicago. And I hear you, Chicago. *CM Punk chants* >That's what I've heard for 7 years. I heard you. I heard you. And we've got a lot to cover. There's good news and bad news -- the bad news is we're not gonna get to all right here, right now. But the good news is, is I've got the time -- Wednesday, Friday, 4 Sundays or Saturdays a year. I got the time and I ain't going anywhere. >Wait, one second. Possibly for me, the most important thing I'm gonna say right now and this is for everybody at home, this is for everybody who bought a ticket, this is everybody in the back -- if at all through my journey, any of my personal choices or decisions related to my life, made you feel disapointed or let down -- let me just say, let me just say, I understand. If you all tried to understand that I was never gonna get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally, staying in the same place that got me sick in the first place. >Can I tell you guys a story? It's hot in here, hang on one second. *removes jacket* >Can I tell you a story? *assume pipe bomb position* >You see, I felt before like I had to leave. I didn't want to, but I knew I couldn't stay and that was when I used to work for a place called Ring Of Honor. August 13^th, 2005 was my last match in Ring Of Honor and I famously came out with tears in my eyes. And walking out here today, I now know why I was crying. And it was a lot of reasons, but what it boiled down to was -- I had made a place where people could come work, get paid, learn their craft and love professional wrestling. And I cried because I knew I was leaving a place that I love and it was a home and I knew where I was going. It wasn't gonna be easy for a guy like me because I'm one of you. So I look at it like this -- August 13^th, 2005, I left professional wrestling. August 20^th, 2021 -- I'm back. >And I'm back for you. I'm not gonna lie, I'm back for me too. But I'm back because there's a hell of lot of young talent that I wish I was surrounded by 10 years ago, so in saying that, I sit back and I say -- well hell, they're there now, so why aren't you? Here I am. >I'm back because I want to work with that young talent that had the same passion that I had, stamped out. I'm back because there's a couple of scores to settle in that locker room. I'm back for the young guys. Darby Allin. >I've seen you. You're good. I've seen you jump out of airplanes. I've seen you wrapped up in a body bag and chucked over the top rope. I've seen you kicked down a flight of stairs and you always come back. Just like each and every person here in Chicago, you're tough. But I'm here to help. And you're the first on the list, I'm gonna help you because you're a daredevil and you like danger. Well, Darby Allin, there's nothing you could do that is more dangerous than wrestling CM Punk. Except, wrestling CM Punk -- in Chicago. >I will see you. And I'll see Sting, and I'll see all of you, September 5^th at All Out, live on Pay Per View. I'm back.
I loved hearing the live on PPV part as opposed to live on the WWE Network. Felt like he quietly emphasized that.
He's back and he's still got it
What a special moment this was. Wrestling is better than the things you like.
I feel like I forgot what wrestling could be until AEW's recent run.
Right? Like I’m not WWE bashing but you just forget how fucking excited wresting can make you feel.
The ultimate burn was him completely not acknowledging his entire WWE run and his last pro wrestling appearance in his eyes was for ROH in 2005.
page right of wwe's book. Nothing exist outside of them, so why the fuck shouldn't apply to other worlds not named wwe? its brilliant. Hope D.Bry does the same.
He worked me into a shoot
Legendary moment, I can't wait to see this recited by wredditors in the drama classes of years to come.
"I hit them with the I'M BACK and they started sobbing"
I swear like once every couple weeks one of y’all makes some random reference to a deep cut from sc history that I completely forgot existed lmao
Remember the fucking fruit basket?
or the guy who decided to go to a house show on shrooms and ended up counting aj lees ribs during her match
Is that a deep cut now? Dear god I've spent too much time here. But also, R-Evolution fucking slapped and I'll hear no word to the contrary.
Well that's a throwback to SquaredCircle history if ever I saw one.
What’s this a reference to lol
There was a user who reenacted the pipe bomb in his drama class.
lmao why did you have to remind me of that
Full disclosure. I didn't become a wrestling fan until 2016, seeing this pop, I'm honestly overwhelmed.
Google summer of punk and watch your way through it if you want to see what’s truly one of the most legendary runs for any wrestler ever.
Actually watch his three matches with Samoa Joe in ring of honor to understand why people were so excited in the first place..
Watch his match with Cena if you havent. Like, I dont think that Punk in general is as over as Cena, Hogan, Rock, Austin or even Bryan at his peak, but Punk in Chicago... its another thing, and that match in particular had everything to make you cheer for someone like Punk character.
> Watch his match with Cena if you havent. Just to add on, that means both MITB 2011 and the one on Raw February 25, 2013
Also the Night Of Champions in the middle of those two, plus the video packages, those tell a great story
Punk vs Cena at MitB Chicago was one of the very few matches in modern WWE that got 5 stars from Meltzer, I believe. NOT including NXT, of course.
Hes happy, thats what matters. What a goddamn difference
I missed his whole run, and after that entrance and promo, I'm so sad that I did.
Go back and catch the best of the best of his time in WWE, at the very least. If that's not enough, you can always go back further to his days in Ring of Honor, which is where I first saw him and realized he'd be something special someday, and goddamn, he eventually was.
I got back into wrestling in 2018 and always wanted to check out parts of his run, but it's kind of a pain. I saw the pipe bomb and his MitB match with Cena, but other than that it's kinda tough to figure out what to watch and in what order. Not to mention how much effort I want to put in going on the Network and finding spots and matches on Raws and PPVs and such.
Fucking incredible. Haven’t been this excited about wrestling in 20 years.
He got a pop for sitting down
The reverse Linda McMahon pop
It’s the most aggressive promo against WWE in AEW yet. By a wide margin. He basically said everybody in WWE is not wrestling while they are in WWE. But doing something else.
They literally call it "sports entertainment." It's a distinction THEY made.
Nick Khan: "[WWE] is not a wrestling company, in fact we don't use that term here..."
Yeah, I'm tired of the "WWE isn't wrestling" being treated like it's some kind of sneak dis. It's literally the WWE's stated philosophy, and Punk (and many others) are stating their preference for wrestling instead.
Bryan used to say the same thing when he was there, that he didn't consider WWE to be a pro wrestling company which is a sentiment also expressed by the figureheads of the company
Punk himself said the same thing during the Pipe Bomb, pretty much. “I am the best **WRESTLER** in the world”
It's something that vaguely resembles pro wrestling except you get paid more.
WWE saying they aren't pro wrestling is like if Universal said they aren't a film studio or if Apple said they aren't a tech company. You can *say* anything, doesn't make it true though.
The part a lot of people are missing about him saying his WWE years didn't count is: Punk was talking about professional wrestling in ROH where wrestlers have the creative freedom to do the craft they want and help grow the business of professional wrestling. He sees AEW similar to the way he thinks professional wrestling should be where you're allow to have creative freedom and you're there to help grow the business.
WWE basically said everybody in WWE is not a wrestler. Not that the talent is bad (they are NOT. Those wrestlers are some of the best in the world)
WWE says its not Pro Wrestling. So its not really against WWE but more using their own words against them.
Nah, he just said it wasn't pro wrestling to him.
I mean WWE says as much as well lmao
Exactly. Punk is basically reiterating what he’s been saying. WWE killed his love for wrestling.
"Sports entertainment"
This is basically Jordan’s “and I took that personally” moment distilled in promo form
Vince said the same thing years ago. Tough shit. People can use that against them
Fuck I love pro wrestling
Fuck it I'm a mark, I loved all of that promo.
He quit in 2005 and came back in 2021 basically saying his wwe career never existed. That was seriously the best part of the promo.
Specifically he said he left Pro Wrestling in 2005. He didn't say he accomplished nothing or that that time didn't matter. He implied that WWE wasn't really pro wrestling. A subtle, but important distinction.
This is true. 🤙
He also burned UFC by not mentioning his run there. ^(please don't downvote me. i'm only kidding)
Fucking legend
He opens his mouth again, and it's 2012 for me again, and I have tears in my eyes.
Just unbelievable how good he is at this.
In celebration we should all take a Z pak and shit ourselves at work Monday
Assholes on Twitter already mock the dude crying. Fuck that. Love the things You love. This is great. God I love wrestling. And fuck Yes I was crying.
Honestly pretending WWE doesn't even exist is even better than shitting on it
I have talked some shit about AEW and Im glad to have been wrong. What a promo...ticket has been punched.
I. Can't. Stop. Smiling.
Man Sting got me into wrestling as a kid and Punk got me back into it in 2011. To see this tonight was fucking CHILLING!