The most anticipated show of the year (so far) happened on August 21st 2021. AEW Rampage, from Chicago, IL. HOME OF THE CHICAGO BULLS. Was a huge success and yes. They delivered. CM Punk on AEW.
We didn’t have to wait long for the big debut, as he appeared to a sea of chants… CM PUNK IS ALL ELITE. CULT OF PERSONALITY HITS, AND OUT WALKS CM PUNK.
CM Punk returned to kick off AEW Rampage: The First Dance amid weeks of rumors and speculation. Punk received a massive pop from the jam-packed United Center as AEW wasted no time delivering on its (mostly) unannounced promise.
CM Punk’s imminent return to AEW has been the worst-kept secret in pro wrestling. So much so, Punk’s likely AEW debut led to an immediate sellout of AEW Rampage: The First Dance, from the United Center in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.
Though AEW has foregone making any formal announcement of CM Punk appearing in AEW, Punk is widely expected to arrive at the sold-out show, and anything other than an in-person appearance from Punk would be a letdown at best. At worst, it would be one of the biggest troll jobs of a pro wrestling audience in history and a potentially ugly scenario in one of pro wrestling’s most impassioned cities.
CM Punk, Tony Khan and the AEW hype machine did everything in its power to hype the arrival of CM Punk without saying the words “CM Punk by name,” and with SummerSlam set to air from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas tomorrow night, this is setting up to be one of the most memorable pro wrestling weekends of the modern era.