Almost a decade on from his last match in the promotion, CM Punk made his WWE in-ring return at a live event in New York’s Madison Square Garden last night. Punk faced off against Dominik Mysterio, after weeks of the two trading social media jabs, and managed to pick up the win, hitting the GTS for the pinfall win despite constant distractions and interference from Mysterio’s Judgement Day ally Rhea Ripley.
Following his victory, Punk got on the mic to address the fans in attendance, footage courtesy of X user Ryan Songalia, and thanked them for being there.
“This is for all of you. I’ll be honest, there’s a little bit, a little part of me that came here for me,” Punk admitted. “But you guys are the high tide that raises all ships. You have carried me throughout my career to my greatest moments and this is one of them. So I want you to look to your left and I want you to look to your right, I want you to look at the people behind you. I want you to say hello to your neighbours. I want you to shake hands. We are all in this together.
“When I wake up in the morning and somebody asks me how my day is I say, ‘Hey, I woke up this morning. Everything else after that, I’m fortunate for.’ Every day I’m in this ring in front of all of you, I am fortunate for. I came back here to finish what I started. It starts tonight in the world’s most famous arena in front of you, the greatest fans on Earth.”
The former WWE Champion ended by reiterating his promise that he would win the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble and go on to headline WrestleMania 40 next April. Punk has previously hinted that he will challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at the event, whom he’s shared plenty of on-screen animosity with since his WWE return last month.
“I know I’ve got stiff competition, but I’m here to finish what I started,” Punk proclaimed. “When I win the Royal Rumble and go on to main event WrestleMania, ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to let you know that it isn’t me finishing my story. That’s just me getting started.”
Before his match with Mysterio yesterday, Punk was fast approaching the 10th anniversary of his last victory in WWE. His last win in the promotion came on January 21st 2014 during a dark match on a SmackDown taping where he defeated all three members of The Shield in a three-on-one handicap match. Just five days later, Punk competed in the 2014 Royal Rumble match and shortly after, walked out of both the company and professional wrestling entirely for the next seven years.
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