Jim Cornette Praises "Perfect" CM Punk AEW Debut
"It wasn't the way I would have done it, it was a lot better. It was perfect."
For anyone who listens to Jim Cornette's podcasts or follows him on Twitter, Corny isn't exactly the biggest fan of Tony Khan's All Elite Wrestling. Despite his plentiful, regular digs at AEW, though, Cornette had nothing but praise for how CM Punk's AEW debut was handled.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Jim Cornette Experience, the legendary manager, booker and promotor told co-host Brian Last how Punk's appearance on AEW Rampage was "perfect" - even saying how the handling of the Second City Saint's return was better than anything he himself would've done.
"It wasn't the way I would have done it, it was a lot better. It was perfect. I said it wasn't the way I would have done it and I said it was better, and here's why. I think I told you [Last] on the phone last week, obviously everybody was pretty certain he was going to be there, the question was how and to do what. I said, 'I wonder how this is going to be, [how] this surprise is going to be sprung, is going to be revealed or unveiled, what manner is he going to make his debut?' What I would have done was, since they know what the surprise is, surprise them in the way they get the surprise. Make it to build to some moment and then... [but] they couldn't hear the f**king music after that anyway."
Cornette continued:
"But I realised two things. Number one, Punk knows his hometown better and realises how long he's been gone. They didn't need to do anything else. Secondly, also, to be honest, I would've been running a normal television programme up until now. In retrospect and reflection, they've had so many surprises and shocks, and some that weren't shocks and some that weren't surprises, and some that were flat and some that got over. Whatever the f**k. That wouldn't have been unusual, that would've been business as usual. This is the first time that they've just had a big star show up, come out, get an ovation, do his promo, not be attacked, not be f**king mixed with miscellaneous other people, you know what I'm saying. So in this case, the simplest thing they could've done was the perfect thing. Play that music and let him come out in front of his hometown."
This is just a snippet of James E.'s comments, for he and Brian Last would spend nearly 30 minutes showering praise on CM Punk and his AEW bow.