Why AEW Have NOT Botched CM Punk
It is luxuriously subtle technical pro wrestling. It is as if Punk had left Ring of Honor and instantly learned how to adapt the intricate style to the more compact televised stage. He said, during the seminal First Dance promo, that he had left pro wrestling in 2005 and only returned in 2021. This statement is reflected in the performance. This is long-term storytelling. The man knows what he's doing.
When he last performed commentary duties, he bemoaned AEW's wacky interrupted interview trope by gently, openly mocking it. During the last episode of Rampage, his interview was interrupted by Eddie Kingston. This was a far more naturalistic version of a lame plot device: Kingston got hot in the background, Punk got flustered, not interrupted, and Kingston was drawn to his wry, ironic smile, thinking that Punk was taking the piss. Tony Schiavone's popularity was used to get the scene over as a transgression; the idea that this was a disturbance of an important broadcast made it feel realistic. This was exponentially more organic, heated, and compelling than virtually any interview-gets-interrupted angle ever. You know Punk's fingerprints were on it because he evidently hates every interview-gets-interrupted angle ever. Punk is already making AEW's TV product better before he stars at the top of it. It's going to be fine. It's going to be great.
When Punk's body catches up to his mind, you will be treated to an all-timer of a run.
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