Tag: CM Punk

Report: CM Punk ‘might have almost decided to stay home’ from Dynamite

Is CM Punk unhappy enough to sit out Dynamite or leave AEW altogether?

Is CM Punk unhappy with Hangman Adam Page and with AEW in general? A new report hints that both of those things might be true.

The AEW World Champion has been out of action following a foot injury earlier this year, but returned on the Aug. 10 episode of Dynamite to help prevent the Jericho Appreciation Society from running amok at the end of the show. AEW heavily promoted Punk’s appearance on this week’s episode, and he came out to open the broadcast.

His overall promo, which included some sharp barbs at and an eventual physical confrontation with interim champ Jon Moxley, was well received. But prior to that, he singled out Page and called him a coward for not responding.

One problem: Page wasn’t there. It made for an awkward start to the segment, and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that it was completely unplanned.

Fightful Select has followed up by talking to locker room sources who speculated that Punk’s callout was payback from comments Page made during a promo leading up to their match at Double or Nothing.

The belief among several on the roster we spoke to was that Punk believed Hangman went into business for himself leading into their Double or Nothing match, and that Punk may have seen the August 17 promo as a “receipt.”

But Punk’s unhappiness may go beyond Page to AEW as a whole. Fightful Select’s report includes sources close to the wrestler saying they felt “he might end up quitting the company” because of his displeasure, and that “he might have almost decided to stay home instead of coming to the August 17 Dynamite.”

If Punk has been at the center of any ongoing discontent, it hasn’t been apparent from the person in charge of AEW. CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan has consistently spoken highly about what Punk has meant to the company’s success, particularly during a period of time when some of AEW’s original top stars, including Kenny Omega (who made his own return on this week’s Dynamite), were unavailable.

Another twist to this saga got added later in this week’s Dynamite, when AEW announced that the title unification bout between Punk and Moxley will take place next week, on the Aug. 24 edition of Dynamite. It was originally slated for All Out, the company’s next pay-per-view on Sept. 4, which will take place just outside Punk’s hometown of Chicago.

The apparently late pivot to hold that match so quickly could just be AEW using its most high profile program to give Dynamite a boost, but it could just as easily be a warning sign that there is uncertainty around Punk’s future with the company. If nothing else, it’s made the upcoming show a must-watch episode that will either answer some questions or raise new ones.

AEW Dynamite: Best photos of Chris Jericho vs. Jox Moxley for the AEW Interim World Championship

See the best photos from the AEW Interim World Championship match between Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley on the Aug. 10, 2022 AEW Dynamite.

With CM Punk out injured, Jon Moxley won and then defended the AEW Interim World Championship. For Quake by The Lake, that job meant taking on Chris Jericho as he resurrected one of his earliest personas, the Lionheart.

Check out the best photos from a hard-fought title match with blood and plot twists, including the post-match return of Punk himself. (Photos courtesy of All Elite Wrestling)

CM Punk on being cheered by fans: ‘I don’t necessarily enjoy being a good guy’

CM Punk explained why he doesn’t “necessarily enjoy being a good guy,” while noting that he doesn’t want to waste his connection with fans.

When you’re known as the “Best in the World” and then end up out of the wrestling game for years, it’s only natural that fans are happy to see you come back. That’s been the exact situation that CM Punk has found himself in, as he’s been enthusiastically embraced by crowds everywhere since he returned to pro wrestling last year.

But if you think Punk is right at home in his current, extended run as one of AEW’s top babyfaces, think again. He recently told Screen Rant that he would prefer being a heel because it’s easier, but at the same time, he understands the circumstances that he’s in at the moment and wants to make the most of them.

“I think I have a currency with the audience just having been around for so long, coming from the Indies, going to the old WWF, and you know being around the block,” Punk said to Screen Rant. “Leaving, coming back after seven years, there’s a connection that I have.

“I don’t necessarily enjoy being a good guy. I feel like it’s hard work. It’s a lot easier to get people to dislike you. But I feel you’d be it would be wasteful to, as I said, just discard this currency that I have with the audience because it is, I feel, a special connection.”

Punk’s comments echo those of many wrestlers throughout the years, who have noted that it’s easier to be a heel — or at least comes more naturally. However, it’s rare that a returning talent isn’t cheered when they first reappear, as fans are simply overjoyed to see them back in action.

For someone as popular and gone as long as Punk, it was a no-brainer that he’d be a de facto face upon arrival in AEW, and the best time to turn him heel would have been right away. Now that he, the company and the fans are on this ride together, including Punk winning the AEW World Championship, it makes sense to ride it as far as it can go.

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There’s one caveat: When Punk resumes competition after his current injury, the plan is to have him unify his title with a match against whoever the interim champion is at the time. Currently, that’s Jon Moxley, also a big fan favorite. Face vs. face title matches aren’t uncommon, especially in AEW, but there’s also the potential for someone to turn heel during or right after that kind of title bout.

If it ends up being Punk, at least fans can’t say he didn’t warn them.

AEW’s Summer of No Punk should be over in the next few months

A recent report suggests it “not be long” for CM Punk to return from injury, potentially by one of the next two AEW PPV events.

AEW was planning on using CM Punk as the centerpiece of everything they had going on this summer, including a showdown with NJPW ace Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door. But Punk breaking his foot shortly after winning the AEW World Championship pumped the brakes on any thoughts of a Summer of Punk II, as it were.

Punk’s absence has also left his title in a bit of limbo since AEW chose not to strip him of his belt and instead created an interim title in its place. Jon Moxley currently has it in his possession and will defend it for now, with the idea being that whoever is interim champion when Punk is back will quickly get a match with him to unify the titles.

AEW has been quiet about a timetable for Punk’s return, but Dave Meltzer provided an update on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer said that it should “not be long” until he’s back in action, and that he expects it would be at one of the promotion’s two remaining 2022 pay-per-views: either All Out on Sept. 4 or Full Gear, which traditionally falls in the first two weeks of November.

Of the two, All Out would be a natural first choice for a big return bout since it’s being held in (or more precisely, a little bit outside of) Chicago, Punk’s hometown. But AEW also won’t rush him back, secure in the knowledge that Punk vs. Moxley — or any number of top contenders he’s yet to face in AEW — is a marketable main event no matter when or where it takes place.

Even though AEW hasn’t lost much if any of its momentum with Punk sidelined, getting him back within the next few months would be a shot in the arm to help close out the year on a strong note. And he’s not the only injured star who would be back in the fold soon, with Fightful Select reporting that Kenny Omega could also return as soon as All Out.

AEW just pulled off Forbidden Door without 4 of the biggest stars in company history

The continual growth of the AEW roster allowed it to put on an excellent Forbidden Door card with NJPW but without four of its biggest names.

If you asked Tony Khan a year ago (pandemic restrictions notwithstanding), if he wanted to try a dual-branded pay-per-view with New Japan Pro-Wrestling without Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes, he almost certainly would have said no. The same would have been true six months ago pondering a Forbidden Door without CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.

This past Sunday in Chicago, AEW and NJPW pulled off one of the more entertaining and ambitious pro wrestling cards in recent memory without any of them.

While Rhodes departed of his own accord to return to WWE several months ago (and ironically got injured since then), the other three wrestlers all missed Forbidden Door due to injury. Punk and Danielson were penciled in for specific matches: Punk against Hiroshi Tanahoshi for the AEW World Championship, and Danielson in a battle for technical supremacy against Zack Sabre Jr. Omega has been out longer term, but considering his history with NJPW, he almost certainly would have been in one of the night’s matches, like the four-way match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

It’s a testament to the amount of talent that AEW has acquired and developed that other members of the roster were able to step up and fill the void almost seamlessly, a fact not lost on Khan during the post-event media scrum.

“You could headline any pay-per-view ever with the list of people who were out on this pay-per-view,” Khan said. “The roster is so deep compared to where it started, and we’re able to sustain it.”

Indeed, having Jon Moxley sub in for Punk worked for a variety of reasons, not least of which because Mox had been seeking a match with Tanahashi for some time, and Khan admitted to delaying it. That paid off handsomely in Sunday night’s main event, with much of the crowd cheering for Tanahashi but also showing Moxley love when he emerged with the victory.

Moxley also missed time in recent months due to checking himself into alcohol rehab, but he and Jericho — as well as Orange Cassidy, who shined at Forbidden Door in a singles match against Will Ospreay — returned to the fold just when AEW needed them most.

Khan’s continued knack for talent acquisitions helped as well, with Claudio Castagnoli making his AEW debut as Danielson’s hand-picked replacement to face Sabre. Amid the ongoing debate over whether AEW has too large a roster in some parts of wrestling fandom, it could have been seen as a luxury signing. But if Forbidden Door proved anything, it’s that you never know when any newcomer or foundational talent will be needed to play a big part on short notice.

“The people who came in helped fill that void,” Khan said, referring to Punk and Danielson. “Now they need the time, now they’re beat up, and now these guys can step back in, the originals, the first few champions. And new faces come in for the company, including, now, Claudio. I just think it’s really cool, to talk about it again, full circle, being back here in Chicago. … So it all came together even though it wasn’t the original plan for tonight.”

It certainly wasn’t, and probably never would have been at any time in AEW’s history. But darned if it didn’t turn out just fine anyway.

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are injured. Which AEW and WWE stars can step up to fill the void?

With CM Punk and Cody Rhodes injured, we run down the WWE and AEW performers best positioned to step up while they are out.

Fans of traditional sports know how one unexpected injury can torpedo a promising year. It’s no different in pro wrestling, where both AEW and WWE have had the injury bug strike top performers at the worst possible time.

CM Punk had literally just won the AEW World Championship when he hurt his foot during Dynamite last week. That led to an appearance on Rampage on June 3, when he revealed he would be out of the picture for a while while he has surgery.

Cody Rhodes hadn’t won a title yet since returning to WWE at WrestleMania, but he was repaying the company’s faith in him as a top star and looked like he was on the path to contending for championships sooner rather than later. Then he tore his pec, which led to a legendary Hell in a Cell performance before he, too, announced that surgery was in his immediate future.

The situations aren’t exactly the same, but they’re eerily parallel in some respects and the injuries struck just days apart. In AEW’s case, we already know how it plans to pivot — the promotion is holding a mini tournament to crown an interim champion — but the absence of both Punk and Rhodes will be acutely felt.

The silver lining in both cases is that there are opportunities for other talent to step up and claim more of the spotlight while they are away. Who’s in the best possible position to take a step forward over the next few months? Let’s take a look at a few possibilities.

Who could fill in as Raw’s top babyface with Cody Rhodes out?

Riddle

The King of Bros has been rumored to be the next championship contender for Roman Reigns, but his alliance with Shinsuke Nakamura and ongoing issues with The Usos put at least a little doubt on that plan. The most recent episode of Raw made it appear Riddle has his sights set on Reigns again, and the timing couldn’t be better.

Riddle is arguably as popular as he’s ever been in WWE right now, and has shown he has the knack for balancing an edgier side to his persona with his unmatched comic stylings. Pursuing Reigns means he’ll likely appear on both shows over the next month, but he has the potential to stay Raw’s top face even after Money in the Bank.

Bobby Lashley

Speaking of performers who are as over as they’ve ever been, we’re living in the time of Peak Good Guy Bobby Lashley if recent crowd reactions are any indication. Putting him up against the larger Omos helped him as he wasn’t able to win just by being bigger and stronger, but still looked impressive in overcoming the odds.

The only hiccup here is that Lashley just started a program with Theory, so his ascension to top dog on Raw could be more of a medium-term play if Rhodes ends up out until almost the end of 2022.

Edge

Yes, Edge has just spent the last little bit recruiting other wrestlers to be part of The Judgment Day, definitely not a face faction. But then Finn Balor joined and the group turned on him, so he’s going to be a good guy by default.

The 48-year-old WWE Hall of Famer is playing with house money at this point in his illustrious career, but if the company wanted to give him one final babyface run, this is now the ideal chance to do it.

AJ Styles

Not to quite the same degree as Edge, but Styles is headed toward the end of his time as a main event caliber attraction too. It’ll be interesting to see if he joins forces with Edge in an “enemy of my enemy” sense, but why couldn’t WWE push him to the very top of the card right after they deal with The Judgment Day?

Styles has faced Reigns in championship matches before, but not for years, so a program between the two of them could still feel fresh. With Money in the Bank on the horizon, it’s easy to imagine him winning the briefcase and then turning his attention to the Tribal Chief.

John Cena or Brock Lesnar

These are names mentioned somewhat in jest, but if WWE feels this is a “break glass in case of emergency” situation, it’s already announced that John Cena is returning to Raw in a few weeks. And Brock Lesnar is presumably just a phone call away.

Who will emerge as AEW Interim World Champion while CM Punk is on the shelf?

Jon Moxley

He’s got a leg up already in narrative terms since he is guaranteed a spot in the main event on Dynamite to determine who will go on to fight for the interim title at Forbidden Door. And since he’s held the real title before, people know what they’re getting from a Jon Moxley reign.

That’s the downside though, too. The AEW World Championship hasn’t been around all that long, as Mox already held it for some time. Pushing him more right now might feel like something fans have already seen, and not as effective as elevating someone new. The Punk-Moxley unification bout at the end of the rainbow would be sweet, however.

Wardlow

Now that Wardlow has freed himself from the machinations of MJF and become a legitimate star, why not just strap a rocket to him? It’s almost certainly not what the promotion was planning, but injuries have a way of changing plans, and this could be a change that pans out.

His path to the interim championship would also afford AEW a chance to put him over even more, as it would mean winning a battle royale, then defeating Moxley and someone at Forbidden Door, likely Hiroshi Tanahashi. That’s earning it, for sure. Plus it would be easy to turn Punk heel to play off him for their showdown when the current champ returns.

Eddie Kingston

Anyone who has followed Eddie Kingston during his career in the indies is probably already in favor of this idea, and people who only discovered him through AEW TV have to be impressed with him by now. In terms of building a story and selling it with promo work, Kingston could have one hell of a feud with Punk when he returns.

Does AEW view him as a top guy? It would be interesting to know, but if Eddie gets a chance to run with the ball right now, that would go a long way to answering that question in the affirmative.

Bryan Danielson

Just a quick note that while Bryan Danielson had a shot at the AEW World Championship while Hangman Adam Page held it, he wasn’t successful in winning it. The American Dragon has an unlimited amount of goodwill with the fans and would be easy to accept as the interim champ.

He and Punk wouldn’t be a brand new program, of course, but it’s been a decade since they faced each other with gold on the line. Both men shift effortlessly between face and heel roles, so it would be a showdown that can go any direction the creative team envisions once Punk is healthy again.

Hiroshi Tanahashi (or Kazuchika Okada, or anyone from NJPW)

Even in the Forbidden Door era, it seems unlikely that AEW would let someone from another promotion hold its main championship for any length of time. An interim title, though? That’s another story altogether.

Tanahashi was getting ready to face Punk later this month before the injury, and has already invited Punk to face him at Wrestle Kingdom next January. That could be to unify the regular and interim championships if so desired. Or Tanahashi could defend the interim strap in NJPW for the rest of 2022, opening up the possibility of dropping it to Kazuchika Okada or another top NJPW talent. The sky is really the limit should AEW choose to go in this direction.

CM Punk reveals injury, AEW will crown interim champ in his absence

CM Punk confirmed during AEW Rampage on June 3 that he is hurt and will need surgery, but plans on making a full comeback.

When AEW started promoting a special announcement about CM Punk and the AEW World Championship for this week’s episode of Rampage, people feared the worst. When his promo included mention of good news and bad news, part of those fears were confirmed: Punk is injured, and will need surgery.

As for the championship, well, that part is a little more complicated.

Many fans and observers thought Punk may have been injured during his trios match that saw him team with FTR on Dynamite. He was limping afterward, particularly when he came to the ring to confront MJF in a moment not shown on the TV broadcast.

Punk’s Friday night promo confirmed that he is indeed hurt and will need surgery, though he stopped short of revealing exactly what was “broken.” He also said he volunteered to relinquish the championship, but that “Tony Khan said he believed in CM Punk.” He finished his promo by vowing to come back better, stronger and hungrier, making no mention of giving up his title.

However, Chris Jericho, on color commentary as he is most for most episodes of Rampage, said twice on the broadcast that Punk would be relinquishing his championship.

During the show’s main event, Excalibur cleared part of the situation up while still causing a bit of confusion. Punk will not have to hand over the AEW World Championship, but the company will crown an interim champ while he is out.

The process for doing so begins next week on Dynamite. A Battle Royale to begin the show will determine an opponent for Jon Moxley. They’ll face off in the main event, with the winner going on to wrestle for the interim title at Forbidden Door later this month.

The question is who they’ll face, but there are several weeks to answer that part of the equation. Since NJPW is the other part of Forbidden Door, it’s entirely possible that one of their wrestlers will have a shot at the interim championship — possibly Hiroshi Tanahoshi, who made a challenge to Punk on Wednesday.

At the very least, Punk will be back, and that’s ultimately good news for AEW fans.

AEW Rampage live results: CM Punk makes announcement, TNT title on the line

Check out live AEW Rampage results for the June 3, 2022 episode from Ontario, California.

It was all set to be an exciting but more or less by the books AEW Rampage from Ontario, California tonight. Then this happened ..

This sounds like it could potentially be bad news. CM Punk looked like he may have hurt himself during his match on AEW Dynamite, so the first thought is that he might be announcing an injury, and mentioning the AEW World Championship brings further thoughts that it might cause him to vacate the title. Which … would stink.

But we’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully it’s not that.

In less worrisome news, Scorpio Sky will put his TNT Championship on the line against Dante Martin. The Young Bucks will have a rematch against the Lucha Bros. Athena will make her AEW in-ring debut. And Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks will be in action.

Can’t catch the action tonight? Bookmark this page and check back as we update it with live AEW Rampage results as they happen.

AEW Rampage results in 30 seconds:

  • Young Bucks def. Lucha Bros. by pinfall

Watch: Hiroshi Tanahashi challenges CM Punk for Forbidden Door

See New Japan’s ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, arrive on AEW Dynamite to challenge CM Punk at Forbidden Door.

Go Ace … all the way to a match with CM Punk at Forbidden Door.

It looks like New Japan’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, will be the one to test the mettle of new AEW World Champion Punk at the collaborative Forbidden Door pay-per-view later this month in Chicago.

Punk, who won the title from Hangman Adam Page at Double or Nothing last Sunday, teamed up with FTR for a trios victory over Max Caster and the Gunn Club on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Afterward, he told the fans in Los Angeles that he still needed to learn and improve, even as champion.

He then turned his attention to Forbidden Door, asking who he was going to face. Tanahashi walked out onto the stage just a moment later, and even though he didn’t speak (at least on the TV broadcast), he made it clear he was challenging Punk — perhaps even for that newly won gold.

You can watch the entire segment below.

While we’re not sure every fan would agree that Tanahashi’s appearance was the No. 1 moment of the week — an honor that would probably be reserved for MJF’s passionate promo — it was a great bit to set up the first in what should be a series of dream matches booked for Forbidden Door.

Considering Tanahashi’s list of accomplishments, including his record eight reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and three reigns as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, he makes for a logical opponent for Punk, especially considering they are close in age as well (Tanahashi is 45, Punk 43). Though Kenta has been publicly lobbying for a chance to face Punk on social media, this matchup is an even bigger one, all things considered.

AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door will take place on Sunday, June 26 at the United Center in Chicago, and will broadcast as a pay-per-view available through Bleacher Report in the U.S., FITE TV internationally, and NJPW World in Japan.

AEW Dynamite live results: MJF, CM Punk and FTR, huge 10-man tag

Get live AEW Dynamite results from the June 1 episode from Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

We love L.A. (We love it!). That was an old song you might have to look up on the internet, but it’s relevant again as AEW Dynamite takes place from the Kia Forum with the first televised wrestling card held there in years. It’s a big deal, the kind that made national headlines for non-wrestling outlets when it was first announced.

If only AEW had some interesting stuff going on … Oh wait, it does! This is the first big show since Double or Nothing, a long but entertaining spectacle. As you may have heard, there’s a new AEW World Champion, CM Punk, who very well may find out tonight who will be the first man trying to take his new gold from him. While he waits, he’s also teaming with FTR in a six-man tag match against Max Caster and the Ass Boys. We mean, Gunn Club, Yes, that’s it.

That’s not even the biggest (in terms of number of participants) tag team match on the card. Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, Christian Cage, Matt Hardy and Darby Allin will try to provide a united front against Young Bucks, reDRagon, and Impact/NJPW’s Hikuleo.

Also, someone who has been in the news a lot lately and also took an ‘L’ at Double or Nothing, MJF, will speak tonight. When doesn’t he, right? Considering all the questions swirling around him, any segment where he’s got an open mic should be appointment viewing right now.

Can’t watch the show tonight? Be sure and bookmark this page, as we’ll be updating it with the latest AEW Dynamite results from Kia Forum in Los Angeles as they happen.