Pat McAfee has a ‘1-word’ reaction to CM Punk’s shocking return to the WWE after 9 years

The crowd went wild as Punk's intro song started playing inside the venue.

Pat McAfee has a ‘1-word’ reaction to CM Punk’s shocking return to the WWE after 9 years

CM Punk returned to WWE (Via X/user generated content)

CM Punk‘s return to WWE after a 9-year gap had Pat McAfee in awe, similar to the millions of other wrestling fans who tuned into the final main roster pay-per-view of 2023, Survivor Series: WarGames. It was a night to remember.

For the past couple of weeks, rumors have been circulating that the former World Heavyweight Champion may indeed make a return. WWE was wrapping up proceedings inside the Allstate Arena in Chicago following the Babyface team’s victory, which was contributed to by another high-profile return in the form of Randy Orton.

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However, their celebration was cut short, and the crowd went wild as the infamous heavy metal of Punk’s ‘Cult of Personality’ filled the arena. The 45-year-old came out of the tunnel and appeared before the raging chant of his name. They have waited for the day to see one of the greatest to ever graze the ring make his comeback.

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It instantly broke the internet as hoards of tweets spread across social media with the news that CM Punk is back to where he made his name as a wrestler. The moment did not go unnoticed by famous wrestling fanatic Pat McAfee, who summed up the scene by taking a page out of Owen Wilson‘s playbook.

Where was CM Punk all these years?

CM Punk, aka Phillip Jack Brooks, wrestling career, had humble beginnings in 2005 from Ohio Valley Wrestling and then transitioned to ECW, which he later won. Then he made the biggest move of his life by joining Monday Night Raw.

Pat McAfee has a '1-word' reaction to CM Punk's shocking return to the WWE after 9 years
CM Punk on AEW (Image via AEW)

Apart from clinching the heavyweight title, he was the WWE champion twice and has also won in several other categories. Punk’s last appearance came during the 2014 Royal Rumble, in which he entered the match as the #1 participant and spent 49 minutes.

In an interview with The Art of Wrestling host William Windsor, Punk revealed that he chose to leave World Wrestling Entertainment after a dispute.

I was sick, hurt, tired, and burned out, and I walked. And I can do that because I'm an independent contractor.

In 2016, he signed with the UFC and stayed with them for five years before joining AEW in 2021. During his short time with Tony Khan‘s organization, Punk won the World Championship twice. His tenure was called into question following a suspension in 2022. This started rumors that he might return to his roots (WWE). And now he has gone full circle.

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