The Self-Destruction Of CM Punk In AEW | Wrestling Timelines
August 20, 2021 - The First Dance
The feedback noise finally hits after several seconds of deafening, sustained chants of “CM Punk!”
The pop greeting the opening bars of ‘Cult of Personality’ is literally unheard of, and unlikely to ever be repeated. Wrestling’s coolest iconoclast is actually back, and he’s just joined a unicorn of a promotion: a major league outfit that actually wants to harness his genius mind to its fullest. Punk walks in as the top guy he always wanted to be.
His promo is excellent - heartwarming, earnest, and, at the time, honest-feeling. He thanks the fans for sticking with him, and rubbishes his WWE run as something that might as well have not happened. “On August 13, 2005, I left professional wrestling. On August 20, 2021, I’m back.”
Punk’s mental health does influence this brilliant, rousing line, but equally, he knows what he’s doing. AEW fans don’t like WWE (an understatement). Punk says he hates it too, even if, as will be revealed, he was actually close to going back there a little while ago.
This is Tony Khan’s greatest feat. He makes it feel like the man who vowed never to return has embraced the idea of coming back because a wrestling utopia now exists.
In a way, this feels like AEW was built, carefully, painstakingly, for the explicit purpose of bringing CM Punk back to wrestling. It’s a stunning feat of promotion. Tony Khan might have done too effective a job.
September 5, 2021 - The Return
CM Punk wins his first match back at AEW All Out 2021: a pay-per-view so excellent, momentous and euphoric that many believe it to be the best wrestling show ever.
Punk defeats Darby Allin in 16 minutes and 39 seconds. The match is understated and superb. Darby blows Punk away early. In the sports-oriented promotion, Punk boldly presents himself as an older guy who is hardly in sparkling cardiovascular condition. In a great spot, Punk sits up Undertaker-style to evade Darby’s Coffin Drop. A smug punk makes the cover, but Darby counters it with a crucifix pin, informing an electrifying near-fall. The story is complete: Punk is the savvy veteran, but he can’t get too cocky if he wants to be the top guy. This roster is too loaded with incredible talent for him not to be at his very best.
What’s interesting and somewhat distracting here is CM Punk’s choice of attire: Punk wears long tights, and not his signature trunks. They make him look slight. It’s a weird experiment. Does CM Punk dream of debuting a new look, which he then trivialises by calling them “longbois”, if he goes back to WWE?
Hint: he doesn’t wear this gear, once, when he does.
The longbois don’t really suit him, and he doesn’t care much. He seems to enjoy that the look riles people up. He’s in a playful mood at all times.
As pedantic as this may read, his attire on the night could be interpreted as a sign that he perceives AEW as the #2 promotion that is happy to indulge him.