5 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Rampage (Aug 20)

2. Pop (For) Punk

So happy they cry.

There were several shots of crying fans in the stands at Rampage. None of these were shoehorned in for the sake of it, and they definitely fit the emotion of the moment. The thunderous, sustained pop that Punk received even knocked him off his feet.

OK, so he always did that thing where he goes down on his knees, but the guy was legitimately floored by the love raining down on him. He got legit choked up - you could see it written all over his face. That's the unique kind of emotion that pro wrestling does better than most other forms of entertainment. People bitch, but many adore the men and women who sacrifice so much for them, and that came across here.

The United Center was a giddy place on Friday night. That pop might be one of the loudest (and longest) in industry history. Good, it should've been. AEW were giving so many fans back someone they feared they'd never see perform in wrestling circles ever again.

What a moment.