Marc Serota/Associated Press
For weeks, the wrestling world has been at a fever pitch after rumors surfaced that CM Punk had signed with All Elite Wrestling and would be returning to the sport after a seven-year hiatus.
Punk is widely considered one of the best talkers in the history of wrestling, but it was his elite mind for the business that truly helped carry WWE for almost a decade. While guys like John Cena were booked on top by the company, it was Punk that brought casual fans back to the sport.
Here are the best scenarios for Punk ahead of his possible debut on AEW Rampage.
Show Opens With Cult of Personality
The second-ever broadcast of AEW Rampage—dubbed “The First Dance”—will emanate from Chicago’s United Center on Friday. With Punk’s ties to the city and many of the people in AEW, all eyes will be on the one-hour show this week.
If AEW wants to make the biggest possible impression, the show should begin with its normal music and commentators welcoming the audience to the building. As they’re introducing what will happen on the show that night, the arena should go dark.
As fans at home and in attendance begin to explode with anticipation, the familiar riffs of Living Colour’s Cult of Personality should echo through the United Center as the lights come back on.
Sitting on one knee on the entrance ramp should be Punk, checking his watch. After yelling that it’s clobbering time, the former WWE champion should walk to the ring and cut a promo about his time away and the state of the business.
With the monumental moment of his return, Punk should claim he is with AEW to shake the business to its core. Instead of building to a match right away, the company should let his return simmer for a week before having his first confrontation the following week on Dynamite.
Punk Saves Darby Allin
No member of the AEW roster has been teasing the return of Punk more than Darby Allin, so it would make sense that Punk’s return to TV features him coming down to the ring to save Allin and his cohort Sting from a massive beatdown.
Allin and Sting should come to the ring, only to be interrupted by Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and the entire Elite stable. After a tense back-and-forth on the mic, Allin and Sting should try to fight off the group, only to be thwarted and viciously beat down.
As The Elite stand tall, the lights should go out and once again, Living Colour’s Cult of Personality should blare over the speakers. With the crowd in a frenzy, the lights should come back on as Punk is laying waste to the entire stable.
As the heels retreat, Punk should be left in the ring with Allin and Sting, who then stare each other down before the new signing crawls out of the ring and leaves the building through the crowd.
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