6 Things AEW Got Right About CM Punk's Debut
5. Genuinely Moved
CM Punk made a name for himself in WWE in 2011 with a
somewhat bitter, anti-hero persona. The Voice of the Voiceless delivered a
pipebomb promo that scorched the landscape and launched him into the upper
echelon of the company.
He continued that mindset throughout the remainder of his run with the company – even as a babyface, he never really was a cheerful guy, always picking on authority figures and maintaining an edge. While that suited Punk well in WWE, it wasn’t what we got Friday night.
Punk arrived in AEW and seemed overwhelmed by the deafening reaction. He did a stage dive into the crowd and hugged fans. He smiled and even seemed to tear up a bit. He spoke in positive tones about re-entering the world of professional wrestling and excitement at working with various wrestlers. Punk was genuinely happy to be there and at the reaction he received.
Had Punk come out and delivered a pipebomb-style promo where
he complained and griped about everything that had gone wrong, it would have
diminished the moment and the energy in the building. Instead, he delivered a
pitch-perfect promo.