CM Punk Takes Clear Shot At AEW After Successful Raw
CM Punk "borrows" certain phrasing from AEW announcement to celebrate WWE Raw.
WWE Raw was a huge critical and commercial success this week - and its Chicago protagonist, CM Punk, celebrated with potshots at former employers AEW.
Raw took place in the Chicago-adjacent Rosemont, Illinois this Monday, with Punk's return amongst the key selling points ahead of next week's WrestleMania 40 event. On the night, Punk partook in a barely scripted in-ring promo with rivals Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, which drew plaudits for its loose, chaotic, and very un-WWE nature.
Beyond rave reviews, Monday's show was WWE's best-attended Raw since 8 April 2019, pulling in more than 15,000 fans.
Punk hit Instagram to celebrate (as preserved by /r/SquaredCircle). It doesn't take Lanny Poffo to see what he's doing:
The first caption, at the very least, references the discussion around AEW's All In event last August. Although an FOI request obtained by WrestleNomics' Brandon Thurston suggests a Turnstile count of 72,265 on the night, Brent Council (the relevant local authority) has stated 85,528 were in attendance at Wembley Stadium.
All In was CM Punk's final night in AEW. The controversial star was embroiled in a backstage argument and brawl with Jack Perry before wrestling career rival Samoa Joe in the main card's opening match. Tony Khan suspended Punk from AEW immediately after - and the Chicagoan was fired within a week.