As wrestling fans, one question we ask ourselves too often is: Am I being worked?
There's not a lot of magic in this world, but that fine line between what's real and what's fiction is one of the last bits left and it's the sweet spot wherein professional wrestling has had its greatest victories for the past century.
From Kevin Sullivan's "cult" being investigated by local TV news stations, to censors obscuring Macho Man's arm in the jaws of Damien, to the Outsiders hijacking Nitro, to CM Punk leaving WWE on the night he wins the championship, so many of the dramatic triumphs in wrestling have depended upon walking the tightrope of "Is this real?" Time and time again, the answer has been no, not really. It didn't diminish the tension and the wonder in the moment, however. With so many "smart" fans understanding this and recognizing it though, surely as a performer it must get harder and harder to really pull off that magic trick, right? A great match or a great promo is recognized for what it is, yet the true artists of the craft have that one signature moment where they make you believe. How could anyone possibly pull that off in this day and age where everyone is wise to the business, everyone has peeked behind the curtain, everyone knows all the usual story beats?
Maybe the only way to get someone to buy a story is by never letting them realize it was one from the very beginning...
Bear with me. This is gonna be a long one.
September 5, 2022… The infamous All Out media scrum.
We all know what happened that night at the scrum so there’s no need to reexamine it (just yet). We all know what happened in the days afterward. We all know the very next Dynamite that two championships were vacated with no mention of why, no mention of whom the titles got stripped from, no acknowledgement of anything at all. And for weeks after that, there was zero acknowledgement of anything surrounding the event or its fallout in either an official or kayfabe capacity. This event was seen as potentially devastating to both the AEW product and the careers of all involved, but as more details trickled out and as time passed, we saw that wasn’t the case at all.
Now here we are, many months removed from the most notorious moment in AEW history, and things seem… Off. Just a little bit off, but a little bit more off with each passing day. There’s sly mentions here, sly mentions there. Direct references and callbacks have been creeping into the product. MJF keeps referencing THE USUAL SUSPECTS and people keep acting weird on social media and in interviews... even across the boundaries of promotions. It's as if they're asking us: Have you been paying attention?
Wrestlers and bookers have always loved their little Easter eggs and hints building up to an angle. But what if those hints aren’t a recent thing? What if those hints go back further, to as far as a year and a half ago? What if this started well before anyone on the outside ever conceived it could even become an angle, weaving in aspects of real life and actual events to become something larger in scale than anything that's come before it?
Let’s build a timeline.
August 20, 2021 - Rampage: The First Dance
Before CM Punk arrives in AEW to great fanfare and raucous celebration, we come upon Jon Moxley alone in the bowels of the arena, well below the jubilation up above.
Jon Moxley, the Ace of AEW, the standard-bearer, cuts his most fiery promo in months:
“Tonight got me thinking about how everyone wants a piece of AEW these days. They’re coming from everywhere now that we’re the hottest promotion in the world, selling out buildings, changing the game. What makes them think it’s so easy? … I’m the guy who carried the world championship on his back, I’m the guy who waved the flag for this company through dark days and dark times, through empty buildings and uncertain times. We planted the flag on Wednesday nights and now y’all want a piece? … Ask yourself if this is where you really, really wanna be. Protect your neck and make sure you really want to be on top… in AEW.”
Punk comes out weekly afterward, cutting promos. They're all some variation of the same thing.
“Are you guys sick of me yet?”
“This is too good to be true.”
We get these victory laps for just a beat too long... Maybe two or three weeks past their expiration date. Some of the more cynical fans start to say it all feels disingenuous.
October 7, 2021
Yet another victory lap promo, bathing in the adulation of the fans.
CM Punk suddenly and randomly directs the camera to his feet.
“You guys, look at these Jordans.”
At the end of the promo, he makes a point of taking the shoes off and giving them to a kid at ringside. Even the broadcast table talks about the damn shoes and how much they cost. Of course, we all know who loves Jordans more than anyone else in AEW.
November 5, 2021 – Eddie Kingston addresses his enemy, CM Punk:
The honeymoon period is over. He's in the game now, he's wrestling again, and he's going to have to go up against people who don't fawn over him and look up to him as a hero. Enter Eddie Kingston.
“I need you to open up your ears and hear this. Nobody wants you here. They never wanted you here. That whole locker room is afraid to say it, but not me. So get out. … You’re a coward. Fight me. Fight me. FIGHT ME… After I’m done beating you up, do me a favor. Quit again. Leave for 7 years.”
This YouTube clip is curiously titled “Was the Truth Too Much for CM Punk to Handle?”
November 17, 2021 -- The First Meeting
MJF declares:
I am the Past, the Present, and the Future of professional wrestling... Nobody in that locker room is on my level.
Before we can even finish the thought of "Thank God that no one is on your level", CM Punk's music hits and he walks out... But he doesn't take the bait. He doesn't play Maxwell's game. He doesn't shake his hand.
November 24, 2021 – CM Punk addresses MJF for the first time:
MJF declares how odd it is Punk keeps mentioning all these others on the roster, but never him.
Punk admits the omission was on purpose:
“Anytime I did press, anytime I did an interview, I never brought your name up. Well that was by design. The last thing I wanted to do was feed your rotten little ego.”
Seems remarkably like a strategy the company adopted wholesale after All Out, doesn't it?
MJF’s rebuttal:
“I can see through you… You claimed you’d only come back for the young talent, and yet you also claimed you’d only come back for a boatload of money. You claimed you couldn’t fix professional wrestling from your couch, and yet you stayed put on that couch for seven long years. Excuse after excuse not to come back… In the other company these people looked at you like a cult hero because they felt you were held down, that you should’ve been the Number One Guy. Now here you are with the opportunity to prove them right… But can you? I’m glad they think that way now, but are they gonna feel that way in a month, two months, a year? … I know why you don’t like me. I represent everything about this business that you hate. I was born for this. I’m a clean cut professional."
January 27, 2022 – Things keep escalating between CM Punk and MJF
“He left all of you. He left all of the fans who loved him and supported him when he was scheduled to make an appearance right here in Cleveland back in 2014. But he no-showed and he turned his back on each and every one of you. What makes you think he won’t do it again? And you watching at home, you think he gives a damn that you spent the last seven years chanting his name at the top of your lungs? I got news for ya. All those chants aren’t gonna stop him from doing it again and then crying about it on a podcast.”
February 17, 2022 – CM Punk challenges MJF to a Dog-Collar Match
“Where you stray from the path is you fail to retain the lessons from the knowledge you are being taught. Maxwell Friedman fancies himself Piper in Portland, Bret in Calgary, Punk in Chicago.”
February 23, 2022 – MJF tells a tale
“That day [a decade earlier] … I made a promise to myself. I was gonna be just like my hero: CM Punk… All I wanna be is like my hero CM Punk… I’m studying tape, I’m watching matches until my eyes bleed. I’m practicing promos in the mirror until my voice gets hoarse because I wanna be just like my hero: CM Punk. January 2014. You leave me. When I needed you most. WHEN I BELIEVED IN YOU. YOU LEFT ME, YOU LEFT ALL OF US.”
In tears, MJF backs away and wants no confrontation. For the first time ever, he seems vulnerable. CM Punk is skeptical, but open to grace in the moment. Off the mic, we see him asking MJF: "Is that real? Is any of that true?"
March 2, 2022 – CM Punk reflects upon himself
To the audience:
“I used to wake up every morning, splash water in my face, look at myself in the mirror and ask, Am I the Bad Guy? I never really had an answer. I don’t think anyone believes they’re the bad guy in their own story. Up until a week ago I was certain that Max is the Bad Guy… But I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m being gas-lit."
To MJF:
"I’ve done horrible things in my life. I used to be you, so full of hate. I poured alcohol down an alcoholic’s throat. I covered a legendary wrestler in the ashes of his dead manager. I mocked a wrestler’s addiction until he lost his job because of it. And I’m here to tell you that all that hate isn’t gonna keep you warm. It’s gonna burn you up.”
For the first time ever, with Max in tears, they touch each other. MJF embraces Punk with both arms.
And then it all falls apart.
After a low-blow, beatdown, and hanging Punk with a chain draped over the top rope on the right side of the ring, MJF fully lifts the veil:
“You stupid, stupid old man. I’m a snake. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.”
March 4, 2022 – CM Punk admits who he is.
“You are going to find out what you think you already know… I know exactly who the fuck I am… I’m gonna beat you until your own mother won’t recognize you. On March 6th, I will become a Monster to fight the Monsters of the world. Because I’m CM Punk, and I’m better than you.”
For so long, ever since he arrived in AEW, CM Punk had been a good man. He did everything right. He was getting the respect he always deserved, and passing on everything he could give to the next generation of stars. He was selfless and in turn he was rewarded with flowers upon flowers like never before. He was in Paradise.
But as you'll recall, in the original Paradise, Man, Woman, and Beast all lived in perfect harmony. They all lived without Sin, right up until they crossed paths with a snake...
____________________________________________________________
“I will become a Monster…”
March 6, 2022 – AEW Revolution
Having crossed paths with the snake, having danced with the devil himself, CM Punk must now chain himself to that same devil for a grueling thirty minutes. He enters the arena to an old anthem, its words accompanying him for the first time in 17 years.
Love your hate
Your faith lost
You are now one of us
Late in the match Wardlow, MJF’s minion since the inception of AEW, is at ringside. Victory is within his grasp, but Wardlow has been pushed too far too many times, and he hands MJF’s signature weapon – The Dynamite Diamond Ring – to CM Punk, who uses it to claim the win.
The music plays one more time.
Love your hate
Your faith lost
You are now one of us
To go forward any further, we must go back… all the way back to the last time CM Punk entered to “Miseria Cantare - The Beginning”.
RING OF HONOR
June 18, 2005 – Death Before Dishonor
In a shocking turn of events, fresh off his widely publicized agreement with WWE, having worked ROH fans and all of the dirtsheets into believing this was his last match for the company, CM Punk defeats Austin Aries for the ROH world title.
Punk:
"Isn't this the prettiest thing you've ever seen in your entire life? It was -- it was almost -- it was a year ago. It was over a year ago. I held this belt high in the air after I fought for it for the first time in Dayton, Ohio, against Samoa Joe and I proclaimed this right here the most important belt in North America. Right now, in my hands, as of this day, 6/18/05, this becomes the most important belt in the world...
This belt in the hands of any other man is just a belt... in my hands it becomes power... just like this microphone in the hands of any of the boys in the back is just a microphone. You put it in the hands of a dangerous man like myself and it becomes a pipe bomb. These words that I speak, spoken by anybody else but me, are simply words strung together in lucid form into sentences. When I say, I mean what I mean I say, and they become ANTHEMS.
You see, if I can be afforded the time to tell all of you here today a little bit of a story. It's a parable of sorts. There was once an old man walking home from work, and he's walking in the snow and he stumbled upon a snake frozen in the ice. He took that snake and he brought it home, and he took care of it. And he thawed it out, and he nursed it back to health. And as soon as that snake was well enough, it BIT that old man. And as that old man laid there dying, he asked the snake, "Why? I took care of you. I loved you. I saved your life." And that snake looked that man right in the eye and said...
"You stupid old man. I'm a snake."
The greatest thing the Devil ever did was make you people believe he didn't exist -- and you're looking at him right now. I am the devil himself and all of you stupid, mindless people fell for it. You all believed in the same make-believe superhero that the legendary Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat saw some year ago today. No, you see, you didn't know anything. You followed me, hook, line and sinker -- all of you did and I'm not mad at you. I just feel sorry for you. This belongs to me. Everything you see here belongs to me. And I did what I had to do to get my hands on this and now I am the greatest pro-wrestler walking the earth today.
This is my stage. This is my theater. You are my puppets and I pulled those marionette strings, and I used your emotions and I toyed with them, you see, because honestly, I get off on it. I hate each and every single one of you... and I will not stop! I will not stop until I prove once and for all, that I am better than you, that I am better than Low Ki, that I am better than AJ Styles. I'm better than Samoa Joe. Ladies and gentlemen, the champ is here. You don't have to love it, but you better learn to accept it, because I'm taking this with me and there isn't a single person in that locker room that can stop me."
July 8, 2005 - Sign of Dishonor
CM Punk begins entering to “Cult of Personality”, the song that will define him for the next decade amid his rise to superstardom and his abandonment of wrestling.
Neon lights, Nobel prize
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You won't have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your TV
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you, still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
Oh, I'm the cult of personality
Punk:
"As I sat there and as I ate my food, I looked across the table at AJ Styles who was the NWA world champion at the time… And I watched as AJ could barely eat his food. He certainly couldn’t look me in the eyes. We all agreed if we stuck together, we could work for whoever we wanted. I explained myself to AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. I said, AJ you’re the champ. You hold the power. You can do things. They have to listen to what you say. They all looked me in the eye and said, We’re with you Punk. We’re gonna stick together…
So I made my decision… I stuck with Ring of Honor. And I like to think that I built this place. And I know for a fact, that there would not be a Ring of Honor for AJ Styles or Christopher Daniels to come crawling back to if it wasn’t for me. Who do you think built this company? … Daniels and Styles and even Low-Ki turned their back on this company. But I stayed here and I stood tall and what did I get for it? You people shit all over me! … The whole time, CM Punk had this company up on his shoulders.
Everyone turned their backs on this company except for me. And you turned your back on me…
CM Punk then does the unspeakable. He signs his WWE contract on top of the Ring of Honor world championship belt. The fans are about to riot. People rush from the locker room to stop him, to kick his ass, but he flees.
Over the next several weeks, ROH throws all their best at him to get the title away before James Gibson finally succeeds. A week later in Chicago, Punk wrestles his final match in Ring of Honor, where he is defeated by Colt Cabana.
WWE
June 27, 2011 – The Pipebomb explodes
Dressed in a shirt from the last star to walk out of WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin, a sinister Punk sabotages the face of the company and grabs a microphone before sitting down on the ramp.
I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave… I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest...
Punk would ultimately leave WWE and professional wrestling altogether 944 days later.
AEW
Five years pass, and with the success of All In, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes are approached by Tony Khan to begin a new national wrestling promotion. The biggest free agent in the world, CM Punk, is approached to join the endeavor. He declines.
Punk:
I'm kind of damned if I do, damned if I don't. I always think if somebody wants to do business with me, they can come talk to me.
On January 1, 2019, All Elite Wrestling is founded.
944 days later, tickets for Rampage: The First Dance sell out within minutes.
One of the primary reasons Punk cites for returning to wrestling, and AEW in particular, is the company's handling of information around the death of Jon Huber, aka Mr. Brodie Lee.
One of the appealing things about AEW for me, and it's a bit of a bummer of a topic... Brodie Lee passes away. Come to find out that he was sick. But nobody knew. Nobody said anything to anybody because it's nobody's business... I knew Brodie. I love Brodie. So seeing that, I was like, there's something about that. If that was anywhere else, it'd be all over the internet... So [in AEW] nobody's trying to tweet and spoil stuff... So I think a lot of people back here were in on it, they knew I was going to be here, but they weren't sure. And, man, isn't that fun? Worst kept secret, designed that way, for a reason. You can criticize and say, well, they should've advertised. Maybe the ratings would be better. It's about the moments. It's about the moments and making people go 'Man, I can't miss the show. I don't know what's going to happen.'
When he speaks for the first time that night in Chicago:
... We've got a lot to cover. There's good news and bad news- - the bad news is we're not gonna get to it all right here, right now. But the good news is, is I've got the time -- Wednesday, Friday, four Sundays or Saturdays a year. I got the time and I ain't going anywhere.
He takes off his hoodie unveiling the classic Punk design and scheme, then sits down and crosses his legs in the middle of the ring.
Can I tell you a story?
COWBOY SHIT
Madness and treachery overcame one of AEW’s founders and its greatest champion, Kenny Omega. With the endorsement of Matt and Nick Jackson and the slithery tongue of Don Callis, the Elite have long since cast out “Hangman” Adam Page. Cody Rhodes is all but out the door within weeks. The Elite are torn asunder as never before. But Hangman has finally picked himself up off the dirt and he’s earned a shot at the biggest prize of them all. All that’s left to be done is sign on the dotted line and make it official.
November 10, 2021 – Signed in Blood
The "Wrestling God" mocks Hangman for failing to claim his birthright. A company was assembled with him as The Chosen One, the presumptive face, the man who would become the Franchise and put the whole damn thing on his shoulders.
Kenny Omega:
You see all of this? Everything here? This was meant for you, and if it wasn't for your insecurities, if it wasn't for your failures…
Omega and Page exchange sharp words until Don Callis reveals he’s been in the ring the entire time, disguised as a cameraman, and violently attacks the challenger.
Kenny:
“He never saw it coming!”
Callis:
"You know Kenny, they say the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to make the world forget he existed.”
Kenny takes the match contract, rubs his hand over a bleeding forehead, and signs it in blood. But only a few days later, Hangman triumphs over the demons of expectation and self-doubt that have tortured him for years and he claims the AEW world championship. In the coming months, he will stand tall against every challenge and overcome every obstacle, proving himself worthy of the burden... Leading him toward the ultimate challenge to him and to AEW...
March 23, 2022 – After Revolution, The Devil returns.
MJF:
"CM Punk, I know it, you know it… I had you beat at Revolution, just like I beat you twice in Chicago. So what did you do? You decided to cheat to win. Let me make something clear: Don’t know where, don’t know when. I’m gonna give you the most embarrassing loss of your career. But even then, it won’t be over Punk. It won’t be over until I attend your funeral and piss on your grave.
Wardlow… I’m gonna start calling you Pig, because that’s what you are. A greedy little Pig. When I first met you… If it wasn’t for me, for the contract you signed three years ago, these people wouldn’t know who the hell you are. I made you. When I first met you, you didn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. And thanks to me, you know have a beautiful roof over you and that mama of yours’ head. How do you repay me? By costing me the most important match of my life.
You have the audacity to step into my ring, to speak into my microphone, and ask me to release you from your contract? Listen here piggy. You didn’t sign a deal with some schmuck. You signed a deal with the devil and all the devil’s deals are ironclad. You thought you had it bad before? Piggy, I’m about to make your life a living hell. If I tell you to jump, you will say how high… I’m gonna strap Wardlow to a cross, just like Jesus. If I so deem it fit, to kick that skank mother out of your house, you won’t say a goddamn thing, cause I own you, Pig. I own you. You don’t get it, do you? You don’t work for AEW. You work for MJF and MJF doesn’t want you around here no more. That means you’re trespassing, bud.
That makes you just like all these marks if they were to hop over the barricade. Don’t worry. I’m gonna keep paying you, but I’m gonna pay you to stay home. Week after week, month after month, year after year, until all these people forget you ever existed. Until you wind up the same way you were when I found you: an absolute nobody."
April 8, 2022 - Discovery completes its acquisition of WarnerMedia
Delighted by the success of AEW, the new conglomerate throws its support behind the product and requests more content as its platform strategy depends upon “unscripted drama”.
April 27, 2022 - Title match is set
It will be the champion, Adam Page, defending against the challenger, CM Punk, at Double or Nothing one month later in Las Vegas.
Punk:
I’m a fan of Adam Page… This is not to disparage anybody I’ve shared a ring with here in AEW except maybe Eddie Kingston, but from Darby to Dustin Runnels, everything up until this point has been warming up… I can promise you one thing, because I can’t promise you a win… I can promise I will always give 100% of myself to you because without you there’s no me, without you I don’t come back after seven years… Double or Nothing is in Las Vegas and I have never been a gambling man. Hangman, listen to me… I will always bet on myself. Win, lose, or draw, you will know you have been in a fight with CM Punk. And I will continue to fight until the wheels fall off.
Things begin in a civil manner, but slowly Punk and Hangman come at odds against each other, and they insult each other with imitations and copying moves, subtle barbs that don’t amount to much individually, but they do begin to add up.
May 25, 2022 – Hangman shoots first
Page:
“There is nothing, there is NOTHING, that you can do to me, to take this championship away from me."
CM Punk, very casually:
"I'm not exactly sure why you seem to be taking this so personally. You're the champ for a reason. You're Hangman Adam Page. You're possibly the toughest son of a bitch on this roster, and you hold the gold for a reason. There's a locker room full of people like me, waiting in line to get their shot. This is just business to me. It's my title shot. This is not personal."
Adam Page:
"I said three weeks ago exactly what I was going to do to you: I said I was going to destroy you. I said I was going to annihilate you, to embarrass you. And I did not mean at Double or Nothing. I meant right now. See I've been waiting for this moment, not for weeks but for months. I imagined myself maybe sitting up at the top of that ramp cross-legged. And I would pull out a lighter and I would light a pipe bomb and roll it right down to your feet and watch it blow up in your face… How cathartic it would feel. How GOOD it would feel... And how full circle for you, huh? Right here in Vegas... But now that we're here... Now that we are here, in this moment I realize I... I can't do it... I can't do it. And not because I'm afraid I'd get fired when I go back through the curtain. And not because I'm afraid of you, that's for damn sure. But the more I thought about what I really wanted to say about you, the more I realized it's exactly what you would do. And I don't think fighting your hatred, your pettiness, your cowardice with more of the same, I just... I don't think it's the right thing to do. But I will tell you face-to-face, man-to-man, how I feel about you: I don't hate you, I almost pity you. And I have no respect for you and what you've done since you've gotten here. You want this AEW World Championship? You wanna… I don't think you understand what it means to be a champion after all these years, I don't think you get it, because it's not just about what happens in this ring. It's what happens when that red light turns off. What happens when you go back through the curtain, those small, quiet moments when you think no one's watching... That's what makes a champion. You talk a big game about workers’ rights, yeah? Well you've shown the exact opposite since you've gotten here. I love this place! I care about this place! This is my home! And this Sunday at Double or Nothing, I will NOT-- I will NOT be defending this championship against you, no for the first time in my life I will be defending All Elite Wrestling FROM you!"
CM Punk:
"Like I said man, I don't know why you're so angry. I don't know why you're taking this personally. It makes me a little bit confused. You're kind of talking in circles and it's a big riddle, but if you're so upset... that I'm here... you're gonna have to do something about it on Sunday. Win, lose, or draw, I respect you Hangman. But remember those roads you traveled to get here? They were paved by me. This house that you built? It was constructed with lumber from trees that I chopped down. The world you traveled to get here, to create All Elite Wrestling, happened, because I gave you the blueprint. You will shake my hand Sunday. In fact, you know what Hangman? You're going to shake my hand right now."
Adam Page:
"I'm going to shake your hand?"
CM Punk:
"All your misplaced anger… Shake my hand.”
[Punk pushes his hand into Hangman's chest]
Adam Page:
"You think I'm going to shake your hand? You think I'm going to shake your hand? You're out of your damn mind!"
CM Punk pushes Hangman who responds with a punch that knocks the challenger to the floor. Punk sits there rubbing his jaw and, as he looks up at the champion, a devious smile slowly spreads across his face.
May 28, 2022 – The No-Show
Rumors begin swirling on social media that MJF has missed a scheduled appearance at the Double-or-Nothing Fan Fest. Journos say communication between Friedman and AEW have almost entirely broken down over contentious discussions about his contract. It’s uncertain whether or not he will show up for his comeuppance against Wardlow the next night.
May 29, 2022 – Sin City
MJF does show up to the event and Wardlow utterly demolishes him. MJF puts up almost no fight and gets powerbombed to hell. The audience relishes the abuse poured upon him. Wardlow does to MJF what Hangman initially wanted to do to Punk. He destroys him.
In the title match, Hangman has Punk dead to rights. He’s winning in every facet of the match, until late when he goes for a Buckshot Lariat and Punk catches him, putting him in position for the GTS. Punk does something I can’t recall him ever doing… helicoptering around until he’s able to knock out referee Paul Turner. Conveniently placed on the apron is the world championship belt. Hangman raises it, knowing he can put CM Punk down for good if he succumbs to the temptation to use what is historically the most devastating weapon in pro wrestling history. No one gets up from a shot to the head with a championship belt. Victory would be guaranteed. It’s tormenting him. He stands over Punk, ready to strike.
But Hangman can’t do it. He is too good and too pure at his core to cheat like this. In his moment of hesitation, however, he has allowed an opening for Punk to recover. Seconds later, his shoulders are pinned and the match is over. He’s lost the championship, but he has passed the test.
Eleven years after delivering the promo that launched him to superstardom, Punk returns to the site of that fateful day in Las Vegas. He may have claimed he’s not a gambler… But he did bet on himself, and he won gold.
June 1, 2022 - MJF rattles the foundations of AEW and professional wrestling at large
With WBD executives in attendance for the Elite's homecoming, the company's very first show in LA, Maxwell Jacob Friedman gets a live mic and delivers the most infamous promo in wrestling since CM Punk's over a decade earlier.
"You wanna hear me talk? I'll talk... but this is Max Friedman talking. Big merger boss, lot of important executives here tonight to watch your product. Would be a real shame, if something bad happened... I wouldn't wanna embarrass you, man. Speaking of embarrassing, you've been tryna sit down with me to hash things out for quite some time now, haven't you? Well guess what? Too little too late.
Here's why: when this company first started, it was All Friends Wrestling. Everybody was handed a ticket except for me. See, I had to write my own and boy do I have good penmanship, because I created moment after moment, after moment for this company... and I still get no respect! Nobody is on my level, no one. Everything I touch, turns to gold. There is nothing I can't do. Every time I come out here, I am not expected to hit home runs, I'm expected to hit grand slams and I do that shit on a weekly basis. See, all the other boys, they get to settle for being great. I have to be perfect, because I'm the 26 year old who is constantly held under a microscope, because I'm the only guy who is capable of carrying this company on my back as I had for months. It's funny... It's funny I hear boos, but I also hear clapping. That's interesting...
Where were you guys... Where were you guys this whole weekend, when you were calling me an unprofessional piece of shit? I'm just curious. You're not the only problem, no, it's the boys in the back too, cause the boys in the back all want my spot. Well guess what, you want my spot, you can have it, cause I don't wanna be here anymore. Now let's talk about you "fans", huh? You people call yourself fans, you're not fans. You're uneducated marks. You sit there, on your phones, tweeting out your opinions like they're worth a damn.
Let me explain something to you, people. You don't know shit! Your opinions suck! Your opinions change at the drop of a dime and then you pretend your new opinions are the same as your old. For example: "Man, I always knew MJF was a good wrestler". Really? That's interesting, because last time I checked, you guys pretended I sucked in the ring for a long time and why is that, huh? Because... Because I'm not trained like all your faves? Because I don't pretend to watch New Japan? Because I don't dump my opponents on their head? Because I'm not reckless, what is it? Is it cause I'm not chasing star ratings, guys? What is it? How could I possibly be the best? Well, newsflash: I AM THE BEST! I'M THE BEST IN THE WORLD, CAUSE I'M THE ONLY GUY, WHO MAKES YOU FEEL... and unlike all those boys I don't gotta do a bunch of bullshit to get you there!
I am a generational talent and you people consistently take me for granted, but it's not just you... It's the big man in the back too. Here's something you guys can't take for granted. Here's something he doesn't want you to know. Do you guys know, who the second biggest minute-for-minute draw is in this entire company? Nope! You wish... IT'S ME! It's me! And if you don't believe me, do me a favor. Ask Stat Boy Tony in the back and see what he's got to say. But whatever you do, don't ask him to reach into his pockets and pay the man, who's been busting his ass for him since day one! No, no, no, no, no, no! Make sure he hoards all that money... Make sure he hoards all that money, so he can give it to all the new ex-WWE guys he keeps bringing in.
THEY CAN'T LACE MY GOD DAMN BOOTS!
Hey... Hey, boss! Would you treat me better if I was an ex-WWE guy? See, maybe you don't get it, man. Here's the problem with you, boss. You got a position of power in the wrestling company, when the only position you should be assuming is behind the guardrail, with all of them! I don't wanna wait till 2024, but you don't listen to me, so allow me to make it a little bit easier for you - Tony... I want you to fire me. Tony... DON'T COUNT ME DOWN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Look at me, Tony... Look at me. I want you to fire me, YOU FUCKING MARK, FIRE ME! FIRE ME! FIRE ME!
After MJF has his mic cut off and the broadcast abruptly goes to commercial, CM Punk rushes to the ring. MJF leaves through the crowd before he can get there though, leaving a flustered Punk behind. At the top of the ramp, Matt Jackson walks to the entrance stage looking anxious and confused.
MJF warned us all, though. He told us this would happen, just a few months earlier, when he spoke with Punk for the very first time. If you'll remember, Max originally invited Punk to the ring the week before, where he extended his hand for a handshake and Punk refused. So MJF had to introduce himself another way and bide his time. This explosion came nearly ten years to the day after Punk's defining moment, but from the very beginning Max warned us:
You can drop cute little pipe bombs all you want. I'm MJF and I drop nukes.
____________________________________________________________
After seven years in the wilderness, CM Punk returned to the ring, to the cheering and adulation of millions of fans. But seven years is a long time. Seven years is long enough to have forgotten the type of man someone is. It’s long enough for us as fans to forget and certainly long enough for the man himself to forget.
So what happens when you hold up a mirror to that man… who will remember first? Will it be us standing over here, only able to observe CM Punk as he perceives himself? Or will it be Punk instead, as the mirror image throws in his face all of his despicable acts, all of his scathing words, all of his spite and all of his hatred? What happens when he realizes his mirror image is younger, faster, stronger, and capable of evil on a grander scale?
At Revolution, he squared off with that reflection and seemingly triumphed… But it lingers in his mind and infects him like a poison. It chips away at the veneer. He lies to himself to keep moving forward. Hangman wasn’t buying any of it, but CM Punk keeps lying to himself and to everyone else.
“There's a locker room full of people like me, waiting in line to get their shot. This is just business to me. It's my title shot: This is not personal.”
But how can it not be personal? He’s had his motives and his integrity questioned since arriving. People won’t let go of the villain he used to be. And since they won’t let it go, how can he? The inner turbulence stays within him. It doesn’t affect the company because the company is strong. For three years, through each trial and tribulation, All Elite Wrestling endured and came out the other side stronger.
Under the stewardship of Tony Khan and The Elite, this young company remained stable and constantly grew and expanded upward… Until June 1st, 2022, when MJF dropped his nuke and ushered in an era of chaos within AEW.
June 3rd, 2022 – The Wheel Breaks
All mention of MJF ceases across all AEW platforms. His promo isn’t uploaded on any channels, his merch is pulled from the official store, the broadcast acts as if it didn’t happen at all. He is persona non grata indefinitely.
In a tag match with FTR just prior to MJF’s promo on Wednesday, the newly-crowned champion breaks his foot while doing a crowd-dive. The following Friday on Rampage, he comes out and makes an announcement.
Punk:
I told you I was gonna go until the wheels fall off, well the wheels are still there, they haven't fallen off. It's just that one of them happens to be broken… I told Tony before I came out here that I don't wanna hold this place up. I'm not here to stand in anybody's way, I told Tony I would relinquish this title, but Tony told me that he believes in CM Punk. And he believes that this is just a bump in the road, and I'm gonna tell you, goddammit I needed to hear that.
Because sometimes... Sometimes I get a little down on myself. And that doubt creeps in. And that doubt can ruin anything, but standing here in front of you, I'm gonna promise you one thing: I'm not gonna let that doubt creep in, I'm not gonna let it ruin anything. And the get-back is gonna be bigger than the set-back.
Punk was scheduled to face off with Japanese legend Hiroshi Tanahashi at the upcoming Forbidden Door. Instead, AEW’s flag-bearer and most reliable hand, the Ace of the Company, fills in for CM Punk at the PPV, getting the dream match he had long campaigned for prior to Punk’s ascension in the company.
AEW cannot go throughout the whole summer without a champion, especially not ahead of the biggest PPV in its history. Punk is not stripped of his championship. Instead, an interim title will be contested at Forbidden Door.
June 26, 2022
Jon Moxley claims the interim world championship in a bout against one of his idols as AEW’s Summer of Punk remains on ice.
August 3, 2022 – Loyalty is Everything
Forecast to miss significant time with injury, Adam Cole addresses the Undisputed Elite:
“As a great leader, you don’t just celebrate success. You think about what you can fix. It’s not just about great leadership… It’s about chemistry. It’s things like talent... Most importantly, it’s about loyalty. It’s about fighting alongside your brothers no matter what… For God’s sake, I came to All Elite Wrestling because of the Young Bucks. That is loyalty… Loyalty is power. Loyalty is success. Loyalty is everything.”
Insulted that the Young Bucks would consider entering the Trios Tournament without him as their partner, he betrays them and along with ReDragon attempts to incapacitate them before Hangman Page comes to their rescue. In the coming weeks, Matt and Nick Jackson would court Hangman to return to the Elite, but the wound of their breakup is still too fresh for him and he declines their offer. They scramble to find their third and place a desperate phone call to Kenny Omega, who has been sidelined since the defeat to Hangman and is still recovering from multiple surgeries.
August 10, 2022 – Quake by the Lake
CM Punk, looking somewhat gimpy and limping, makes his unannounced return to AEW to meet eye-to-eye with Jon Moxley.
August 17, 2022 – Coward Shit
CM Punk speaks in the ring for the first time in over two months.
"Haven't been here in some time, and I got some business to attend to, some things very very important, some things... Not so important, I want to get the not so important things out of the way...Where are we? Where are we tonight? There's somebody that's from around these parts that I would like to challenge to a rematch, and I would like to do it right here right now for you beautiful people. 'Hangman' Adam Page... You want that rematch? You got it right here right now, let's go!
Hangman, who was not scheduled to appear that night, does not come out to answer the call as the crowd chants “Cowboy Shit”. Punk points to the imaginary watch on his wrist.
The crowd boos.
My sentiments exactly. Now onto important things… That's not cowboy shit, that's coward shit! A little bit of advice, and I suggest you take: The apology must be as loud and as public as the disrespect. And if anybody else has a problem with the champion... Well I suggest you come on down. You see because everybody wants to be the champ until it's time to do champ shit.
Ladies and gentlemen I understand that Jon Moxley's got a lot of fans... And he can be number one in your heart but he's not number one in this ring. I am THE AEW champion! I understand what it takes to be the best. I know what it takes to talk a big game and say that you're the best in the world. I know what it's like to breathe that into existence.
I also know what it's like to lose and ladies and gentlemen, I have lost big, sure... But Jon Moxley has always been number two, there's always that guy that has his number: I'm that guy. Hey you can boo if you want, but let me know when I'm telling lies: Jon Moxley is the third best guy in his own group. And that seems to be a recurring theme in his career.
Doesn't make him a bad guy, it doesn't make him the best either. I am the best. Number one… Let's talk about numbers: His best friend is the third best Eddie I've ever been in the ring with. Third! He's the second best Kingston I've ever shared a locker room with! These people aren't number one in anything! Tell me when I'm telling lies!
After effectively burying the other babyfaces in the company, CM Punk goes on to state he will be defending his championship for the first time at All Out next month.
Jon Moxley has heard enough and comes out to face him. He starts off by mocking him:
“Watch out everybody! CM Punk is dropping Pipe Bombs!”
Moxley ducks for cover and the audience laughs.
“Doing what he does best: writing checks with his mouth that his body can’t cash. Punk you live in a fantasy world, man. In your mind you're the best wrestler in the world. Most of the time you’re not even the best wrestler in catering. You think that microphone in your hands is power, but this is the real world and it’s just a microphone. That microphone and all the words you spit into it don’t mean shit. That belt on your shoulder don’t mean shit… I am the heart and soul of this company. Everytime they call me “interim champion” it makes me think of you and it makes me sick.
Punk:
You can be the heart and the soul. I’ll be the dollars and the cents. You done talking?
Mox:
We both know you came to AEW because you ran out of money. Being the best is about heart and soul and guts and fighting spirit. And we both know you ran out of fighting spirit a long time ago.
Mox pie-faces him and a brawl ensues. Amidst the mayhem, Ace Steel rushes out with security to break it up, making his first on-screen appearance in AEW. It’s not acknowledged, however.
Things are simply too heated. The title unification must happen the following week.
August 24, 2022 – Undisputed Championship
Moxley:
"Our savior, our hero… The voice of the voiceless. The Great Martyr of Professional Wrestling… is full of shit. And I’m gonna crush him."
It’s not a wrestling match, it’s a fight. In just over three minutes, Jon Moxley completely annihilates CM Punk. Having seemingly re-injured his foot, Punk has to be helped out of the ring. Moxley is rabid at ringside. He grabs a chair and tosses it indiscriminately as commentary notes “Punk’s longtime friend Ace Steel” is helping him to the back.
CM Punk looks utterly finished.
August 31, 2022 – Salt in the Wound
Moxley:
"Chicago, I know that you love your boy, but I think they're still mopping him up off the mat in Cleveland. But hey, you wanna talk about it? Let's talk about it. I once heard CM Punk described years ago as the modern sixty-minute man. What a load of crap that turned out to be, huh? I mean, I had fifty-seven minutes left in me last week, Punk. Did you? I don't think so. See, when guys get in the ring with me – the undisputed AEW World Champion, the heart and soul of AEW -- we find out what they're really made of.
I test them. I push them. And last week we learned exactly what CM Punk is made of. At the moment where he hit me as hard as he could, he gave me his best shots and he realized: I didn't care. And he knew I was just gonna keep coming forward, and keep coming forward all night. At that exact moment, he started looking for a way out. It's true. I'm sorry. He started looking for a way out. 'Ohhh, my foot hurt!' He FOLDED! And he curled up into a little ball to die, and he FOLDED!
Champions never fold. Look, you have no idea how genuinely sorry I am that CM Punk just didn't turn out to be what you wanted him to be. He didn't turn out to be what any of us wanted him to be, when we welcomed him back into this business, gave him a second chance in the greatest sport in the world. It just didn't work out. And while I am truly sorry for that -- I know he's your boy, I know he's from Chicago and you love him – I have zero sympathy for CM Punk. And that is because CM Punk… Fragile ego, fragile body, weak mind, weak spirit.
It's a tough business, dude, sorry… It is what it is and we move on. I have here in my pocket an open contract for a title match at All Out, this Sunday. It's already signed and I'm just gonna leave it right here. Because when I say 'anybody, anytime, any place', I MEAN IT.”
Ace Steel rushes to the ring and grabs the contract before anyone else can sign it.
Later in the night, CM Punk speaks to Chicago.
He starts recounting what happened with his foot injury. A fan at ringside begins chanting “COLT CABANA” and Punk walks over, points at him, calls him a fat virgin.
“I probably shouldn’t have said that… but I probably shouldn't have done a lot of things in my career…
I came back to professional wrestling a year ago because I love this business. I know it doesn’t love you back, but I also came back because I love you fans. And you do love me back… And that’s why it hurts, to feel like I let you down… Maybe that love just isn’t enough anymore.”
Ace Steel comes out.
“I apologize for interrupting this promo, but my name is Ace Steel and I trained this man. I been his coach from Day One… I’ve got a career that I’m proud of, but I’m most proud of yours because I coached you from Day One to do all this… You lost in Cleveland. So what?”
Punk’s mentor suddenly explodes and slaps him in the face. He grabs him by the collar and continues:
“You fucking get up! Get up and fight! You’re gonna sign this contract! You’re gonna fight Jon Moxley! And if you forgot who you are… Tell him, Chicago!”
The crowd chants CM Punk, CM Punk, CM Punk. He comes back from the brink, signs the contract, and then proceeds to march through the crowd, talking about how Chicago fuels him, what the city means to him, how much he fights for “the streets of Chicago.”
Once he’s gone, Moxley comes to the ring and gets in his final words:
“I’m gonna put on a display of brutality and violence that Punk has never experienced… I will show the world the difference between a fake messiah, a fake martyr, and the real thing: a legend being made right before your eyes.”
September 4, 2022 - All Out
The show begins with the Casino Ladder Match, chock full of world class talent vying for a guaranteed world title shot at a time of the winner’s choosing. All have entered and are fighting for the prize, save for the Joker. Ten minutes into the match, a gang of mercenaries masked and clad in black flood the ring, clearing out all the participants.
They unmask, revealing themselves as The Firm with Stokely Hathaway at the top. While Stokely descends a ladder with the poker chip, the clock finally counts down to bring the Joker into the match.
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game
A man disguised by a black and white, horned demon mask struts to the ring where he is presented with his prize, the guaranteed world championship match. The crowd, the announcers.. All are confused and stunned. But we have an inkling of what just happened…
The night proceeds. The Elite and a returning Kenny Omega defeat Hangman Page and the Dark Order to become inaugural champions of the AEW Trios division.
Alex Marvez is shown in the parking lot outside the arena. Into frame walks CM Punk. With him are his beloved, increasingly famous dog, Larry, and his personal hype-man, Ace Steel. Marvez asks Punk if he’s 100% ahead of the title match.
Punk:
“I’m not, and never have been. But Jon Moxley won’t be fighting me alone tonight. He’ll be fighting me and the whole city of Chicago. He beat me once, but he’s not gonna do it twice.”
The main event comes and the champion and challenger beat the hell out of each other. Moxley is mauling Punk once again, but Punk hits a desperate GTS. Punk hits another and Moxley goes down. The world championship is his again. Chicago is jubilant at their hero's triumph.
His music plays as he celebrates. Then, the lights cut.
Tony Khan, recorded on a phone call:
So it's been a few months now and your continuous unexcused absence is hurting the company and it's definitely hurting the fans. And I know you don't care about the fans at all, but I do. So if you will show up at All Out, I will swallow a very bitter pill, for the sake of the fans...
Cut to old footage of CM Punk from that night in Ring of Honor seventeen years earlier, when he first won the world championship and ripped off his mask for the world to see.
Young, fresh-faced CM Punk:
"You stupid old man. I'm a snake. The greatest thing the devil ever did was make you people believe he didn't exist..."
The masked man from earlier appears. He's shrouded in darkness. He removes his mask and puts on a Burberry scarf.
MJF finishes the Punk quote:
"...and I am... The Devil... himself."
MJF's music hits, and the roar from the crowd is deafening.
He walks to the stage and Punk looks shell-shocked. The champion raises the belt... But the people, his people, all of Chicago... They are chanting "M-J-F". He glances at them in disbelief, then looks back at the stage. MJF does something uncharacteristic… He does a time-honored babyface trope, what returning heroes have done for decades when staring down a villainous champion. He motions around his waist. Without speaking, he says, “That belt is mine.”
CM Punk stands bloody and alone in the ring, looking fractured to his core.
Taz:
Well. The Devil is back...
Excalibur:
What... does this mean... for All Elite Wrestling!?
He doesn't ask what it means for MJF. He doesn't ask what it means for the new champion.
He asks what it means for AEW.
Moments later, CM Punk takes the podium for the All Out media scrum.