CM Punk returned to wrestling after a seven year hiatus in August 2021, officially signing with AEW.
Punk was one of the most popular stars even during his time away from the business with fans regularly chanting "CM Punk" at events. Joining AEW brought a shift in business for the company as they sold out the United Center, did the highest AEW Rampage rating to date, and have seen an increase in pay-per-view numbers.
For CM Punk, joining AEW was a chance to give back.
"F--- buyrates and million-dollar gates and everything," Punk told Marc Raimondi in a feature on ESPN. "That's what this s--- is about. What's the best part? The best part is making these new relationships and showing guys what a lot of guys never showed me but should have: to not be a d--- to these kids who just want to be pro wrestlers."
The article features quotes from Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, Max Caster, Dustin Rhodes and Dax Harwood, all explaining their relationship with Punk and how he's helped them or others in some way during his time in AEW.
"I don't run things," Punk said. "I don't call shots. I don't book s---. I just make towns. And I have a wealth of experience that I can draw from. I have a wealth of positive and negative experiences that I can draw from. I'm not sitting back trying to hold people back, politic or anything. I'm just literally trying to make this place better."
Hobbs explained how much his Arthur Ashe match against Punk meant and how Punk wanted to make sure it was dedicated to his mother. Caster said Punk greeted him when he came back from suspension. Harwood discussed his relationship with Punk and how they've bonded through Bret Hart, trying to make each other jealous with screenshots. Harwood also told the story of how Punk asked to wrestle a singles match against Harwood and trusted FTR to lead tag team matches.
"I feel like it was kind of wasted," Punk said of his time in WWE, noting that he spent far too much time "chewing my fingernails off" worrying about "what old head you're gonna make mad for no reason. It could have been so much more. It should have been so much more. And now, this is everything I dreamed pro wrestling could and should be. And I'm here and I'm f---ing in the moment. I'm not thinking about tomorrow. I'm not worried about s--- that happened yesterday. I'm living in the moment and I'm 100% in my f---ing prime, best I've ever been."
Allin, who was Punk's first opponent back, praised Punk for his work ethic, saying that Punk could have come in and demanded a title shot, but wanted to work with different talent on his road to the title.
Tony Khan had high praise for Punk ahead of AEW Double or Nothing, explaining how he's helped the company. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
Punk is set to challenge for the AEW World Title against Hangman Page at AEW Double or Nothing. Fans can view the current lineup for the show by clicking here.
