After a seven-year hiatus in wrestling, CM Punk returned on August 20 at AEW The First Dance.
Punk's name and return helped boost multiple metrics for the company, which just hit its two-year anniversary on television.
A noted Chicago Blackhawks fan, Punk has drawn a comparison to Ray Bourque, who famously spent 21 years with the Boston Bruins before he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the age of 39. In his first full season with the Avs, Bourque helped the team win the Stanley Cup.
“Ray Bourque, that’s exactly who I am,” Punk said in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. “You’re going to have to Google that if you’re not a hockey person, but that’s exactly who I am. I’m the f------ old guy on the team, and I’m there to score goals, block shots and do whatever the f--- I can to help the team win. I’m there in those in-between moments in the locker room to help people along. That’s my role backstage. To me, that’s the story I want to tell on the screen. I see some of the comments like, ‘CM Punk’s not in the story line.’ Yes, I am. The story is I’ve been gone for seven years and I came back. I’m starting at the bottom and making my way to the top. That’s the story.”
Punk is undefeated in AEW, picking up victories over Darby Allin and Powerhouse Hobbs. He is set to face Daniel Garcia on Friday's AEW Rampage.
Figthtful will have live coverage of AEW Rampage beginning at 10 p.m. ET on Friday.