CM Punk is #AllElite.
After weeks of reports, rumors and speculation, ex-WWE superstar CM Punk has officially made his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut in his native Chicago after seven and a half years away from the ring, turning up for tonight’s AEW Rampage: The First Dance on TNT.
The Last Dance opened with loud chants of “CM Punk” from the thunderous crowd. Punk’s iconic theme, Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality,” then played over the speakers. Punk made his way down to the ring, though not before basking in the ovation, even leaping into his hometown crowd at one point. Before long, Punk issued a challenge to Darby Allin for this year’s All Out pay-per-view on Sept. 5.
Real name Phillip Brooks, CM Punk began his wrestling career in 1999, rising to prominence in the early-to-mid 2000s thanks to his time performing for Ring of Honor (ROH), where he became the fifth-ever ROH World Champion at the Death Before Dishonor III event in 2005. That same year, Punk signed a developmental contract with WWE, debuting for the company’s Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) territory, where he formed a friendship with then-OVW booker Paul Heyman. Punk made his main roster debut under Heyman’s watch as part of WWE’s rebooted version of ECW in 2006.
Punk performed on ECW, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown throughout his WWE career. He racked up numerous accolades along the way, including the ECW Championship, the WWE Intercontinental Championship, the World Tag Team Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Championship. He is also a two-time Money in the Bank winner, and holds the distinction of being the first superstar to win two consecutive Money in the Bank ladder matches.
The Second City Saint famously set the wrestling world on fire in 2011 with his now-iconic “Pipe Bomb” promo, in which he blurred the line between fiction and reality in order to vent his real-life frustrations with working for WWE. The promo resulted in a storyline that culminated in Punk defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at that year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view in Chicago (which Cena recently referenced as part of his SummerSlam feud with Roman Reigns).
Punk departed WWE and left wrestling altogether in early 2014, citing injuries, creative frustration, the company’s “toxic” culture and a misdiagnosed staph infection. Since then, Punk has embarked on a number of other ventures, including acting, writing for Marvel Comics and even a UFC career. That said, Punk has maintained a relationship with the world of wrestling, appearing on FS1’s WWE Backstage and Starz’s Stephen Amell-led pro wrestling-themed drama, Heels.
Source: Twitter
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