CM Punk supposedly blew AEW off this year, but he's had nice things to say about the startup promotion following its success so far.

The former WWE superstar was a huge target for Tony Khan in the lead up to the show's debut on television but it appears he will be working with (not for) WWE instead, having admitted that he's been interviewed for a role on the company's backstage TV show, WWE Backstage.

AEW's seen lots of success with their initial slate of PPV shows but, having debuted on TNT earlier this month, they've managed to attract over a million viewers every week for their first three shows.

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Speaking to WGN, Punk issued congratulations of sorts, adding that the promotion's success will force WWE to do better, as has been just about everyone's theory.

“I think it’s great' he said. "Yeah, I wish those guys nothing but success. You know, if they’re successful, it will force WWE to be more creative, and it’s always better when there’s not just one place to work, you know. It’s better for the wrestlers, it’s better for the fans. I think competition drives industry, so if there’s only one place in town to work, I think the creatives will be lazy. So, hopefully, y’ know, both companies will push each other and make the product better for the fans.”

Cody Rhodes probably isn't too happy with Punk right now after the latter's claims that AEW made him an offer via text. The brand's executive vice president accused the former wrestler of making AEW "look like dumbasses" late last month, denying the offer was as casual as Punk would have everyone believe.

“He did kind of make us look like dumbasses, saying we sent him a text offer. I’m sure we texted him, but we also called him'" Cody explained. "Someone also met you in a coffee shop. We made genuine efforts.

The Success Can Be Relative

While AEW Dynamite has managed to keep its ratings above one million, the show has lost hundreds of thousands with each week.

Of course, they're still considered to be doing well, especially after beating NXT in viewership for three straight weeks. But there's still lots of room for improvement.

Source: h/t Sescoops.com

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