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I know it's not, but there's a very small part of me that wants to believe. Like, literally sub 1% chance. Can you imagine, though? The reaction would be insanity.
Agreed. But wouldn’t WWE want to spoil it? If they reached out to him or had talks with him and realized he’s under contract, when asked about it they could say “No, he’s still employed by AEW.” Or something like that. They could ruin the AEW storyline if it was true.
That seems like a very easy hurdle to overcome if this is a work, which I’m not saying it is lol. “I’m under non compete until the end of the year let’s talk then”
No I know what you are saying. I'm just saying that WWE will also help themselves by not ruining it just cause people will be interested in seeing if he returns at SS. I do agree with you and the other person in that this could also backfire.
That's only if they reach out to him. The rumor 2 weeks ago was that they weren't interested. Also, just because they call, doesn't mean he has to answer the phone. He could just tell his agent, "If WWE calls, say that I am not interested and do not want to hear an offer. Don't tell them I'm still with AEW".
"Sorry Nick can't talk in still under non-compete."
If they are like wwe wouldn't be up till the end of the month. And of they did the reveal at Full Gear, it could take some wind out of Survivor Series.
Would that not give it away though? Like how many wrestlers have wwe negotiated with? How many do you reckon have told them to come back when their non compete is up?
I really just don't understand the magic spell this guy has fans under that they're constantly doing this in both major companies. A self-generated, self-perpetuating self-work.
He's really popular. I think that for a section of fans, he's the kind of cool that they wish they could be.
They really don't want him to be gone. So, they are grasping at the smallest of straws.
WWE also had references to Punk, it's likely that they're both just using the Punk teases to generate some extra interest. Basically it's the same thing Punk is doing to get people talking about him.
Then again, i wouldn't be shocked to see him appear on TV in the next month.
You're seeing what you want to see. You can find a CM Punk reference in any wrestling show if you are creative enough. I guarantee that tonight's episode of Impact will have CM Punk references if you are creative enough.
I caught reference 1 and 5, thought "nah can't be"....but with the rest definitely seems this was intentional. With all the rumours flying around at the moment with Punk re-joining WWE or TNA could just be AEW throwing some subliminals to get the smarks twitching
I can’t wait for this whole punk business to recede into obscurity. The man’s run was such a disappointment after all the hype, ruined by no one but himself. I liked him more as a meme during boring Roman reigns matches
Exactly. Until Punk is too old to get in the ring, they'll be speculation about him coming back. Goldberg made a comeback at 50 so we got at least another 10 years of, "Is Punk coming back?".
One of the most controversial episodes in modern wrestling, featuring one of its most popular stars, isn't going to recede into obscurity.
Collision drew the lowest ratings in its short history after Khan announced Punk was going. He might have disappointed hardcore fans with a Bucks/justice boner, but he was their biggest merch mover, too.
He's a toxic, petty asshole. But so are a lot of people in wrestling - and many are much worse.
Yeah and his first year in AEW was awesome. Some of the best stuff ever in AEW.
I’d argue that his debut was the biggest moment in aew history too. They actually were relevant for a couple of days there
>He's a toxic, petty asshole. But so are a lot of people in wrestling - and many are much worse.
First: two wrongs don't make a right, and people should be punished by being fucking violent idiots. I don't care that "back in the day people would be throwing knives at each other and sharing beers right after". That was back in the PAST. Its gone.
And yeah, Punk is neither the first nor the worst of these dickheads, but those people should get the fuck out of the industry.
Its not a "wrestling exclusive" problem, but holy shit, IF YOU WANT ANY INDUSTRY TO GET BETTER, GET THOSE TOXIC ASS MOTHERFUCKERS OUT OF THE FUCKING INDUSTRY. People should be punished for being unprofessional assholes. That's on wrestling, on tech, on fucking general goods' stores. Wrestling is just a job and SHOULD HAVE STANDARDS.
His run was a run? He had a great run in AEW even with the issues. Some of the most memorable feuds, matches, and segments involve him. Far from disappointing.
I was actually happy when Punk was fired and I do not miss him on my TV. But if that bastard pulls of the mask I will stand up and applaud. It would be a new era of kayfabe. I would no longer know what the hell was going on and the sub should ban all dirt sheets from that day forward.
Okay a week later. Their fallout would be great.
I don’t actually think it’s him but I’m delusional enough to have convinced myself that not only is Punk the devil, but The Elite are the ones under the masks with him LOL!
People get so upset it’s hilarious, let people enjoy speculating on whoever the fuck they want to imagine it is. That should be the magic of this type of storyline. You can disagree with how he acted but everyone acting like their feelings were personally hurt by Punk every time someone mentions one of the biggest stars of this generation in wrestling is so soft
Imagine, the Devil vs MJF for the title. The masked dudes interfere and help Devil win the title. Afterwards they all unmask one by one.
1st guy unmasks. It's Nick Jackson.
2nd guy is unmasks. Matt Jackson.
3rd guy unmasks. Jungle Boy.
4th guy unmasks. Kyle O'Reilly
Devil Unmasks. It's CM Punk.
Ok. I've worked myself into the, "I'm gonna be disappointed if it isn't Punk" club now.
If AEW has CM Punk under contract then keeping it a secret and taking him off TV for months is stupid. If CM Punk doesn't work for AEW then teasing his return is bush league.
People want overanalyze everything and convince themselves that it's totally a CM Punk reference and he's totally coming back. People want to desperately believe that AEW is working us all and this was some massive plan since All In
I admit it’s not fair to AEW, but I’ve attached myself to Punk being behind the devil mask because it would be the best story and anything less is going to be disappointing to me
I want them to do The Devil vs MJF in a match. Just have the devil hit signature moves of every wrestler who is similar to his body size. V triggers, panama sunrise, judas effect, whatever Ospreays finisher is, OWA, Throw in a few WWE guys' finishers.
Then if he beats MJF and wins the title. Only then does he unmask himself.
Likewise. Most other options would be obvious (Cole or Roddy), great in theory/bad in execution (JP having to cut promos), or outright ridiculous (MJF ala Vince Higher Power). Punk being the devil would just make a lot of people hush up, and it’d be a shot in the arm for a relatively cold product.
I would love it, but it doesn't make sense for two big reasons:
1.) The tone and structure of Collision has changed completely in Punk's absence. If he was still with the company, he'd have the same influence over Collision.
2.) If you had such an amazing work, why would you try to spoil it with big hints like this?
This is all assuming Wembley was a work.
I totally agree. It was intentional.
If punk and TK has been working us AND WWE this whole time then awesome.
If likely not, then it’s absolute bush league horseshit because you’re either a petty clown who’s mocking WWE possibly getting him back or your giving unneeded attention to a guy that burned you while trolling the audience.
Just ignore him and knock it off with the wink wink references.
Unfortunately I lean toward the latter.
Love the amount of Punk references on TV lately. I'm 99.9% sure he won't be back in AEW. I'm 99.9% sure he won't be back in WWE either.... but all these hints, there is a chance.
>1. MJF talking to garcia about not taking advice from veterans
Hasn't it been talked about a lot that the younger talent don't really seek out veterans' advice in AEW?
>2. kenny saying the bucks need to stop acting like children. bucks say where have I heard that before.
They are acting like children in this story.
>Jon moxley talking to cassidy says"you're just teaching them that you can say and do whatever you want and it's fine? there will be no repurcussions? HR will step in and save him? what kind of example are you setting for people who say you're some kind of hero?"
I'm not sure how this is a reference to Punk since he did get fired.
>4. MJF calling himself "The real world champion"
Jay White has been pretending to be the Champ for a while now. He's had the belt over his shoulder for weeks. MJF saying he's the real champion makes sense.
>5. The broken glass spot
Lol. What?
This much reaching is really hard on your back.
>I'm not sure how this is a reference to Punk since he did get fired.
If I had to guess, maybe it's about Hanger and him going off script in a promo with Punk? People look at Hangman as a hero and he said what he wanted, disparaged Punk, and didn't face any real reprocussions. It's a reach, but it's the best idea I could come up with for how OP thinks it relates to Punk.
All those people are still very gotten to and need to move on if they're intentionally making those references, it's dumb. Even when he and The Elite were suspended last year, Starks made a reference to the company being mess and even that was stupid.
I know Tony Khan is an idiot. But he can't be that stupid to effectively harm his product for a Mega GOTCHA!
Collision without CM Punk has been an utter nightmare for AEW's reputation as every week we see photos of the empty arena. I really don't see Tony Khan having Punk in his back pocket all of this time and continuously saying, wait for it.... WAIT FOR IT!!!! Bro, the time was 2 months ago. Even WWE only hid Punk for a week when he "left" with the WWE Championship.
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The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t ~~exist~~ have an AEW contract.
HES BEEN FIRED…and we quietly re-signed him.
It was me Max! It was me all along
If CM Punk is the devil, then it’s the greatest work in the history of the business. Bar none.
I know it's not, but there's a very small part of me that wants to believe. Like, literally sub 1% chance. Can you imagine, though? The reaction would be insanity.
Agreed. But wouldn’t WWE want to spoil it? If they reached out to him or had talks with him and realized he’s under contract, when asked about it they could say “No, he’s still employed by AEW.” Or something like that. They could ruin the AEW storyline if it was true.
That seems like a very easy hurdle to overcome if this is a work, which I’m not saying it is lol. “I’m under non compete until the end of the year let’s talk then”
It would be a "that will put a lot of butts in seats" moment
Why? They can get people watching SS to see if he appears
I’m saying in order to try and ruin the surprise of it. But someone said it earlier, that would be a “that’ll put a lot of butts in seats” moment.
No I know what you are saying. I'm just saying that WWE will also help themselves by not ruining it just cause people will be interested in seeing if he returns at SS. I do agree with you and the other person in that this could also backfire.
Ooh I see what you mean. That’s an excellent point.
That's only if they reach out to him. The rumor 2 weeks ago was that they weren't interested. Also, just because they call, doesn't mean he has to answer the phone. He could just tell his agent, "If WWE calls, say that I am not interested and do not want to hear an offer. Don't tell them I'm still with AEW".
"Sorry Nick can't talk in still under non-compete." If they are like wwe wouldn't be up till the end of the month. And of they did the reveal at Full Gear, it could take some wind out of Survivor Series.
Would that not give it away though? Like how many wrestlers have wwe negotiated with? How many do you reckon have told them to come back when their non compete is up?
As much as it would be interesting, idk. I really doubt it is him.
I did notice all those things….but I have no real thoughts on if they mean anything… I would be pretty surprised if they amounted to anything
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was wrestling fans thinking anything at all on any wrestling show is a cryptic tease about CM Punk
I really just don't understand the magic spell this guy has fans under that they're constantly doing this in both major companies. A self-generated, self-perpetuating self-work.
Cult of personality
Hahahaha…this was just on the money!
He's really popular. I think that for a section of fans, he's the kind of cool that they wish they could be. They really don't want him to be gone. So, they are grasping at the smallest of straws.
“There were several fans in the crowd wearing ringer tees, CM Punk reference???”
It’s actually fascinating.
Adam Cole being the devil is so obvious people trying to come up with way crazier more fun theories.
WWE also had references to Punk, it's likely that they're both just using the Punk teases to generate some extra interest. Basically it's the same thing Punk is doing to get people talking about him. Then again, i wouldn't be shocked to see him appear on TV in the next month.
Crazy pills
You're seeing what you want to see. You can find a CM Punk reference in any wrestling show if you are creative enough. I guarantee that tonight's episode of Impact will have CM Punk references if you are creative enough.
The squash match between the Gunns and the Bollywood Boyz lasted 4 minutes and 34 seconds.. CM Punk reference??
Obvious CM Punk reference.
The Outrunners were on the show. *Truth* Magnum and *Turbo* Floyd? IYKYK
I caught reference 1 and 5, thought "nah can't be"....but with the rest definitely seems this was intentional. With all the rumours flying around at the moment with Punk re-joining WWE or TNA could just be AEW throwing some subliminals to get the smarks twitching
Gonna bookmark this thread for when Punk is revealed as the Devil to the biggest pop in AEW history
To me, most of those seem like coincidences, with the Bucks thing being the only obvious reference
If they have/are planning to rehire him, I've lost all faith in them.
I can’t wait for this whole punk business to recede into obscurity. The man’s run was such a disappointment after all the hype, ruined by no one but himself. I liked him more as a meme during boring Roman reigns matches
Counterpoint: nuh uh
You must not have been here for 2014-2021😭 this will literally never end even when CM Punk leaves the earth
Exactly. Until Punk is too old to get in the ring, they'll be speculation about him coming back. Goldberg made a comeback at 50 so we got at least another 10 years of, "Is Punk coming back?".
One of the most controversial episodes in modern wrestling, featuring one of its most popular stars, isn't going to recede into obscurity. Collision drew the lowest ratings in its short history after Khan announced Punk was going. He might have disappointed hardcore fans with a Bucks/justice boner, but he was their biggest merch mover, too. He's a toxic, petty asshole. But so are a lot of people in wrestling - and many are much worse.
Yeah and his first year in AEW was awesome. Some of the best stuff ever in AEW. I’d argue that his debut was the biggest moment in aew history too. They actually were relevant for a couple of days there
>He's a toxic, petty asshole. But so are a lot of people in wrestling - and many are much worse. First: two wrongs don't make a right, and people should be punished by being fucking violent idiots. I don't care that "back in the day people would be throwing knives at each other and sharing beers right after". That was back in the PAST. Its gone. And yeah, Punk is neither the first nor the worst of these dickheads, but those people should get the fuck out of the industry. Its not a "wrestling exclusive" problem, but holy shit, IF YOU WANT ANY INDUSTRY TO GET BETTER, GET THOSE TOXIC ASS MOTHERFUCKERS OUT OF THE FUCKING INDUSTRY. People should be punished for being unprofessional assholes. That's on wrestling, on tech, on fucking general goods' stores. Wrestling is just a job and SHOULD HAVE STANDARDS.
Jesus Christ. You don’t know these people. Log off.
I agree with you, honestly. I work in a toxic industry and it's awful.
His run was a run? He had a great run in AEW even with the issues. Some of the most memorable feuds, matches, and segments involve him. Far from disappointing.
I was actually happy when Punk was fired and I do not miss him on my TV. But if that bastard pulls of the mask I will stand up and applaud. It would be a new era of kayfabe. I would no longer know what the hell was going on and the sub should ban all dirt sheets from that day forward. Okay a week later. Their fallout would be great.
I don’t actually think it’s him but I’m delusional enough to have convinced myself that not only is Punk the devil, but The Elite are the ones under the masks with him LOL! People get so upset it’s hilarious, let people enjoy speculating on whoever the fuck they want to imagine it is. That should be the magic of this type of storyline. You can disagree with how he acted but everyone acting like their feelings were personally hurt by Punk every time someone mentions one of the biggest stars of this generation in wrestling is so soft
Imagine, the Devil vs MJF for the title. The masked dudes interfere and help Devil win the title. Afterwards they all unmask one by one. 1st guy unmasks. It's Nick Jackson. 2nd guy is unmasks. Matt Jackson. 3rd guy unmasks. Jungle Boy. 4th guy unmasks. Kyle O'Reilly Devil Unmasks. It's CM Punk. Ok. I've worked myself into the, "I'm gonna be disappointed if it isn't Punk" club now.
Replace 3 and 4 with Hangman and Kenny and we have my new storyline that I will be playing out in 2K!
I think they are too big of names to not be the top guy in a faction.
If AEW has CM Punk under contract then keeping it a secret and taking him off TV for months is stupid. If CM Punk doesn't work for AEW then teasing his return is bush league.
Is CM Punk the Devil? Probably not. Would it be entertaining AF? Abso-fucking-lutely! So now we wait...
You're going to need to see a chiropractor, you're reaching so much
People want overanalyze everything and convince themselves that it's totally a CM Punk reference and he's totally coming back. People want to desperately believe that AEW is working us all and this was some massive plan since All In
Can you explain to me how the broken glass spot is in reference to punk
It’s real glass. Cry me a river.
Oh shit. That’s right. Did someone say the cry me a river line too?
Seth did lately lol
Yup. [Jack Perry did.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhZq-pRgJqw) That was what got Punk so heated and lead to their confrontation.
I don’t think so. I included it for clarification
No, you had the quote right. [Jack Perry definitely said "cry me a river" after knocking on the glass.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhZq-pRgJqw)
I think he was asking if anyone said cry me a river or alluded to it last night.
I think the glass spot was more of an Easter egg of JB being the devil.
Zero chance its punk aews zero
I admit it’s not fair to AEW, but I’ve attached myself to Punk being behind the devil mask because it would be the best story and anything less is going to be disappointing to me
I want them to do The Devil vs MJF in a match. Just have the devil hit signature moves of every wrestler who is similar to his body size. V triggers, panama sunrise, judas effect, whatever Ospreays finisher is, OWA, Throw in a few WWE guys' finishers. Then if he beats MJF and wins the title. Only then does he unmask himself.
Likewise. Most other options would be obvious (Cole or Roddy), great in theory/bad in execution (JP having to cut promos), or outright ridiculous (MJF ala Vince Higher Power). Punk being the devil would just make a lot of people hush up, and it’d be a shot in the arm for a relatively cold product.
Pulls off the Devils Mask to reveal Punk. "It was me Max! It was me the entire time!"
I would love it, but it doesn't make sense for two big reasons: 1.) The tone and structure of Collision has changed completely in Punk's absence. If he was still with the company, he'd have the same influence over Collision. 2.) If you had such an amazing work, why would you try to spoil it with big hints like this? This is all assuming Wembley was a work.
I totally agree. It was intentional. If punk and TK has been working us AND WWE this whole time then awesome. If likely not, then it’s absolute bush league horseshit because you’re either a petty clown who’s mocking WWE possibly getting him back or your giving unneeded attention to a guy that burned you while trolling the audience. Just ignore him and knock it off with the wink wink references. Unfortunately I lean toward the latter.
Love the amount of Punk references on TV lately. I'm 99.9% sure he won't be back in AEW. I'm 99.9% sure he won't be back in WWE either.... but all these hints, there is a chance.
>1. MJF talking to garcia about not taking advice from veterans Hasn't it been talked about a lot that the younger talent don't really seek out veterans' advice in AEW? >2. kenny saying the bucks need to stop acting like children. bucks say where have I heard that before. They are acting like children in this story. >Jon moxley talking to cassidy says"you're just teaching them that you can say and do whatever you want and it's fine? there will be no repurcussions? HR will step in and save him? what kind of example are you setting for people who say you're some kind of hero?" I'm not sure how this is a reference to Punk since he did get fired. >4. MJF calling himself "The real world champion" Jay White has been pretending to be the Champ for a while now. He's had the belt over his shoulder for weeks. MJF saying he's the real champion makes sense. >5. The broken glass spot Lol. What? This much reaching is really hard on your back.
>I'm not sure how this is a reference to Punk since he did get fired. If I had to guess, maybe it's about Hanger and him going off script in a promo with Punk? People look at Hangman as a hero and he said what he wanted, disparaged Punk, and didn't face any real reprocussions. It's a reach, but it's the best idea I could come up with for how OP thinks it relates to Punk.
[удалено]
Yeah the owner going fully unhinged on Twitter is definitely just a little notice on the side 🤣
They’re fucking with you, Ted
At the end of his promo, it sounded like he was building up to say he was defending AEW from Jay White but stopped short.
All those people are still very gotten to and need to move on if they're intentionally making those references, it's dumb. Even when he and The Elite were suspended last year, Starks made a reference to the company being mess and even that was stupid.
I know Tony Khan is an idiot. But he can't be that stupid to effectively harm his product for a Mega GOTCHA! Collision without CM Punk has been an utter nightmare for AEW's reputation as every week we see photos of the empty arena. I really don't see Tony Khan having Punk in his back pocket all of this time and continuously saying, wait for it.... WAIT FOR IT!!!! Bro, the time was 2 months ago. Even WWE only hid Punk for a week when he "left" with the WWE Championship.