CM Punk headlines the Collision course for AEW on TNT

By: Kirk Jackson

He’s back… similar to another Chicago sport’s great, the Windy city’s prodigal son returned this weekend for a much-needed boost.

“I don’t know if you guys heard, but I’m tired of being nice,” CM Punk opened his promo after returning for the first time since his injury.

“Go on 10 months with a ruptured triceps tendon, ripped straight off the bone, but I’m still here, and as long as I am, this is the professional wrestling business. It’s a business of grownups. This has never been a popularity contest. We all know I probably would’ve lost that a long time ago.”

After delivering a scorch seething promo, with incendiary remarks aimed at The Young Bucks and a jab at MJF, Punk marked his return to the ring, with a victory in the main event of the inaugural AEW Collision aired on TNT.

The promo was vintage Punk; honest, relatable, emotional and intelligent. It was clear he had a lot to get off his chest, and if there were questions, battle lines were seemingly drawn as answers.

To all intents and purposes, much more will unpack, as AEW goes through the series of television programs and pay-per-view events. Hopefully, the booking will match the storytelling and AEW can recapture that element of wrestling in which makes it special. An element missing during Punk’s absence.

As it pertains to the main event, teaming up with FTR, Punk and crew defeated Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Samoa Joe in a trio’s match.

The match was entertaining, good spots throughout the match, each participant was able to get their moves off and look good in spots. Good elements of teamwork and the wrestlers understood the moment and understood the crowd. Perhaps even Jim Cornette would approve.

The team of Punk and FTR secured victory when Punk executed the GTS (Go To Sleep) on Robinson.

One of the highlights of the match, was the confrontation between long-time Ring of Honor rivals, Punk and Samoa Joe. The commentary team made sure to constantly bring up their history and this interaction hints at Joe being Punk’s first major adversary upon his return.

Overall, the card was solid. This was a lively crowd and watching from home, the show felt like something important, something worth watching.

Of all of the matches and appearances on the card, outside of the main event, Buddy Matthews vs. Andrade El Ídolo stood out the most.

Great back and forth action, high-octane pace, quite a few false finishes and the match itself seemed like something that should be reserved for a high-stakes championship level match.

The fans showed their appreciation for Andrade, as he was making his return from a long absence as well. With his performance, he reminded everyone why he is regarded as an exceptional talent.

Moving forward from Collision, it’ll be interesting to see if AEW can continue to ride this momentum.