CM Punk returned to wrestling on August 20 on AEW Rampage The First Dance and he'll return to the ring on September 5 at AEW All Out.
Punk's first match since competing in the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble will come against Darby Allin in a marquee match.
Appearing on ESPN 100 in Chicago, Punk discussed his mindset going into the match.
"I think it's a lot of, 'Can Punk still go? Can Punk still wrestle in the ring? Can he be entertaining?' Fortunately, for me, I was never a guy who did a whole bunch of crazy flips and stuff. I don't have to go back and try to do these amazing and athletic feats. My goal is to tell a story. The way I get ready for this is, I watch a lot of Darby Allin matches. It's no different than a sports team watching tape on the team they are playing. I watch him and see what he can do and then I get creative about it. That's how I get ready. Obviously, I'm in a television show called Heels, that's on STARZ, I've been in the ring. We've filmed me wrestling. I have gotten in the ring and I have been training, but not super extensively because it beats your body up. I'm trying to be smart about it. Mostly, I'm just watching tape on him and I'm impressed by what I see," he said.
Punk hasn't wrestled a one-on-one match since January 20, 2014 when he faced Billy Gunn on WWE Raw.
Punk's return has brought big numbers for AEW as Rampage The First Dance drew over one million viewers and his entrance video on YouTube is already in the top ten most viewed on AEW's YouTube page.
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