10 Fascinating Backstage Facts From CM Punk's AEW Run

5. Time On The Shelf

CM Punk stats
AEW

Fact: CM Punk spent nearly as much time inactive as he did on the active roster during his AEW run.

We’ve established that CM Punk’s AEW tenure lasted almost exactly two years, spanning 33 televised matches and numerous captivating in-ring promos. And while it’s well-known that Punk missed a significant chunk of time in the wake of the All Out fiasco, it might surprise fans to realize just how much time he was away from AEW programming.

All Out 2022 took place in September of that year, with Punk being immediately suspended and simultaneously put on the shelf due to injury. He would not return until more than nine months later on the debut episode of Collision in June. Punk also missed more than two months in summer 2022, injuring his foot just days after winning the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing in May 2022.

That adds up to nearly 12 months – half his AEW run – being sidelined. Punk managed to still be a topic of conversation throughout much of those absences, which might make it seem like he wasn’t gone as long as he actually was.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.