The CM Punk we saw on AEW Collision, was the exact CM Punk we needed to see. This was the Second City Saint with a clear chip on his shoulder, with biting comments to be made, and with the attitude that nobody actually beat him for the AEW World Title he was stripped of shortly after Brawl Out.
Making it clear that he was done trying to be nice, this was a Punk who was brimming with intensity and passion, and who of course had his traditional one-liners that get the internet buzzing.
If you want an apology from the Straight-Edge Superstar, he's sorry that the only people softer than you are your favourite wrestlers. To Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Punk is known as One Bill Phil, as he's the genuine deal in a business full of Counterfeit Bucks.
Obviously it helped that this return took place in Chicago, with 90% of the United Center cheering on CM Punk's every word, but this opening promo was a brilliant way to usher in CM Punk's return, and likewise it certainly started the debut episode of AEW Collision off with a bang.
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
