One of wrestling’s beloved individual made his trumpihant return on Friday night and it wasn’t in a WWE ring.
CM Punk has been out of wrestling for seven years but signed with AEW to make his return. He came out at the United Center for Friday night’s “Rampage” event, and the fans went wild.
Punk’s return even had some in the United Center bought to tears.
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Punk come out to the ring and thank the fans who have been patently waiting for his return to the ring.
“Sometimes you fall out of love with stuff,” Punk said of pro wrestling in a post-event news conference. “If you set something free and it comes back to you, it’s true love.”
Punk will wrestle Darby Allin in his first match back at AEW “All Out,” a pay-per-view event, on Sept. 5 in Chicago.
Punk last wrestled in WWE back in 2014 when he was released by the company. Punk was involved in a lengthy public dispute with WWE’s CEO Vince McMahon. He later was involved in a defamation lawsuit with WWE’s doctors.
Punk’s return to wrestling, and not in a WWE, could signal a changing of the guard in the wrestling business. At the very least, its showing AEW is now a major contender to the WWE’s throne.