Wrestling legend Jim Cornette has praised the return to AEW television of CM Punk but explained why he thinks one key AEW star was trying to “kill the deal.”
CM Punk made his return to AEW television on Dynamite following Jon Moxley’s successful defence of his Interim AEW World Championship against Chris Jericho. Punk helped Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club chase off The Jericho Appreciation Society before going nose to nose with the man who also calls himself AEW World Champion.
One man who is certainly glad to see CM Punk back on AEW television is Jim Cornette. Speaking on his Experience podcast, the long-time wrestling manager gave his thoughts on The Best In The World’s return:
“Finally, Jericho gets the belt, the title belt, and they hold Moxley up, and they hold Moxley up and they hold Moxley up because the sound man is trying to find that button and finally ‘Like Mussolini!’ Thank f*ck he’s back. Because if I had to watch any more of these shows without him I was gonna crack!”
“Here comes Punk, and for 45 seconds again we were transported back to a wrestling programme because here comes CM Punk, the returning champion, the conquering hero. He’s running down the ramp, the people are blowing, it’s a big pop. He makes a big comeback and all the heels bump for him, it’s laid out perfectly.”
“Cool Hand Luke meets him in the entrance way, one shot and a big bump. And Sammy tries to plancha over the ropes and Punk sidesteps him and grabs him and shoves him into the stairs, rolls into the ring back drops Hager over the top, lays waste to the other guy with a fat face or whoever the f*ck it was. And then Jericho takes two bumps and he bails out. So he went up the pecking order.”
“And finally Jericho is gone and Punk rules the ring and the heels are backpedalling and that part was great. It was executed well, it was laid out well and it got a pop. It got people up after all his dreariness and then there’s the little matter of the current interim champion sitting in the f*cking ring. And except I don’t understand why Moxley was behind.”
Jim Cornette went on to explain that he thought Jon Moxley was trying to derail the segment:
“While Punk was keeping an eye on the heels, Moxley is behind Punk not looking at Punk, but acknowledging that he knows Punk is behind him and making faces of somebody like that ‘I know what’s going on.’ Whatever, like I think he was trying to kill the deal. I don’t think he likes having – I think since Moxley believes he’s a blood-drinking vampire and a goddamn crazy pain freak lunatic.
“‘I’ll come to your house and stick thumbtacks in your elbow.’ I don’t think he liked the idea of being saved by a bigger star that’s more popular and draws more money and is a more accomplished performer because he was making faces behind it.”
“That didn’t f*cking sit well to me because it looked like he was diminishing or making a mockery of what was going on instead of trying to get it over. But nevertheless, he stands up, he turns around, they go face to face, Punk, and plumber Moxley, and Moxley gives punk the finger in his face and walks off.”
“If we hadn’t seen six or seven other fingers on this show alone from Moxley and others it would have meant something. But as it was the end of the show Moxley slunk off to snake a drain and Punk got a standing ovation in the crowd who now has reason to live because Punk is back on television.”
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