CM Punk is back and wrestling for AEW, and it seems the whole business is excited about it, regardless of promotion.
After weeks of teasing where AEW did everything to let fans know CM Punk would be on Rampage without actually saying his name, it really happened. The commentators teased a big announcement to kick off the show and a few moments later, Punk's music hit, sending the wrestling world into a frenzy.
AEW Loves CM Punk
Regardless of who was backstage at Rampage on Friday night, it feels as if almost everyone in the company reacted positively to Punk's debut on social media. Britt Baker was clearly very flattered by Punk's first words in a wrestling ring after seven years away being about her. Referee Aubrey Edwards admitted she was fighting back tears, almost forgetting she had a tag match to oversee right after.
One of the most telling reactions came from veteran announcer Tony Schiavone. Even though Schiavone wasn't calling the action on Rampage, he revealed on Twitter that Punk's arrival was the greatest moment in the history of our great sport, a line he became synonymous with back in WCW. Tay Conti simply tweeted the famous gif of Vince McMahon nervously rubbing his ear.
WWE Superstars React
Speaking of McMahon, while we might be waiting a while to find out if and how he reacted to Punk's debut, some WWE Superstars have subtly tipped their hat to AEW's special moment on Friday night. MVP tweeted, "professional wrestling can be so awesome." Keith Lee went a similar route by tweeting, "Pro Wrestling is wild. I love it." Perhaps if McMahon asks what the two of them were tweeting about they can point to Edge's antics on SmackDown an hour before.
Odds are the reactions to Punk's first appearance for AEW will continue to roll in throughout the day and over the course of the weekend. A big weekend for wrestling in general, even if AEW's massive part in that has now passed. WWE has SummerSlam tonight followed by NXT TakeOver 36 on Sunday. Both shows will need to be pretty big to top that one moment from Rampage, though.