5 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Rampage (Sep 24)
2. CM Punk Works Off Rust
CM Punk's in-ring debut at All Out vs. Darby Allin must've been nerve-racking for the man. He got through it though, and now fans wonder what's next. In the short-term, the answer is: Team Taz. Punk worked a solid match with Powerhouse Hobbs on this week's Rampage.
It was another bid to shake off remaining ring rust.
AEW fans are going to have to be patient with Punk. Anyone hoping that he'd burst onto the scene and start wrestling in World Title matches instantly must've known that was unlikely; Punk himself knows he has a few more gears to rediscover. He hasn't been wrestling top-tier scorchers like Bryan Danielson elsewhere, after all.
Punk vs. Hobbs was the best way imaginable that AEW could've opened this special two-hour Rampage. There's surely a bout between Punk and Ricky Starks incoming, and the veteran might want to play a part in Hook's development too.