6 Things AEW Got Right About CM Punk's Debut

6. Organic Buildup And Hints

While Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar’s returns to WWE at SummerSlam this weekend were surprises, CM Punk’s appearance at AEW Rampage was anything but.

AEW and its personnel spent a couple months hyping the First Dance episode of Rampage, emanating from Chicago, as being a monumental show and moment for the young promotion. The hints were so overt that things reached the point that fans were expecting Punk to show up, and if he hadn’t – even if were someone like Byan Danielson – the response would have catastrophic.

Then you had stuff like Darby Allin calling out anyone who calls themselves the “Best in the World” in the lead-up, and more subtle hints like Kenny Omega wearing a T-shirt that simply read, “Chick Magnet.” If you were paying attention, there were enough breadcrumbs to make an entire loaf, and when Rampage opened and “Cult of Personality” hit, you were instantly rewarded for playing along these past several weeks.

That is what professional wrestling should be like. Genuine surprises are great, but sometimes providing fans with the expectation and then that little injection of serotonin are even better.