The expectations that CM Punk initially had for his run with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) have been “shattered.”
Punk was recently interviewed by ComicBook.com and talked about his run with the promotion since signing with them in August of last year. The former WWE Champion said that his initial expectations for how his run would play out have far exceeded what he imagined.
“This run has been more than what I expected. I had expectations. They were pretty high. So far, they’ve pretty much shattered all that, and that’s just based on analytics and numbers of how well we’re doing.
“I’ve long said that I’m there for the fans in the building. Nowadays everybody is still focused on ratings numbers when cable is absolutely — I canceled DirecTV months ago. I just, I couldn’t do it anymore. It’s too convoluted.
“It’s too expensive. Streaming services are, I feel like, are the future. So when people look at ratings and say that wrestling is dying, I say, ‘Well look at our buildings. We’re selling out and we’re doing our first million-dollar gate.’
“So I don’t attribute that just to me. I attribute that to the spirit of AEW and everybody behind the scenes that makes it all work and makes it all click.
“But the run, my run specifically, my stuff as a whole, I’ve never been happier in a wrestling ring. I’ve never, to me, been telling more fluid, better, reality-based stories. It’s been a real treat.”
Punk has competed with a plethora of notable names under the AEW banner; such as Dustin Rhodes, Darby Allin, MJF, and many more. Currently, he’s locked in a feud with AEW World Champion Hangman Page.
Initially, Punk hadn’t wrestled since leaving WWE back in 2014. It was a nasty exit where Punk publicly voiced his frustrations with WWE, which ultimately led to them firing him on his wedding day. A lawsuit soon followed after some comments made about a WWE doctor on a podcast appearance.
After dabbling in other endeavors such as mixed martial arts (MMA), acting, comic book writing, and more, CM Punk has finally returned home to professional wrestling, and is on the verge of potentially being a World Champion again.
He’ll take on Page for the AEW World Title at Double Or Nothing live on pay-per-view (PPV) from his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on May 29.
