10 Greatest Debuts In Modern Wrestling History

CM Punk's ability to make fans feel every emotion possible is one of the primary factors that set him apart from most performers in professional wrestling history. Men, women, children, and people of all pronouns have been known to burst into tears at his arrival spontaneously, but nothing has ever felt like Punk's return to pro wrestling at AEW's The First Dance.

With the pandemic's world-altering lockdown having only semi-recently ended, this felt more than just a simple wrestling return. It felt like a celebration of being able to feel things again, with CM Punk's dive into the crowd being enough to make a statue weep. No matter how badly it ended, salty revisionist history cannot dim the shine of Punk's immense return, nor it being followed by one of the strongest runs of his career in AEW.

His return to WWE was just as monumental. No matter how many rumors swirled, the idea of CM Punk going back to the company that broke him (at least temporarily) felt unfathomable, even with Vince McMahon finally out of the picture. 'Cult Of Personality' blaring at the end of Survivor Series 2023 in Chicago felt as surreal as it did exhilarating, with Seth Rollins' toddler-esque temper tantrum only adding to the appeal of this WWE return.