Days after capturing the world championship, an injured CM Punk withdraws from AEW.
Just days after capturing the AEW world championship, CM Punk was forced to resign.
On Friday night, a tearful and red-eyed Punk revealed on All Elite Wrestling’s “Rampage” that he is wounded and would have to relinquish the championship he earned at Sunday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. On June 26, during the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, an interim champion will be crowned.
“The unfortunate news is that I’ve been hurt and will require surgery,” Punk explained. “A few things are shattered, the most important of which is my heart, since I adore performing in front of all of you and I wanted to go on a crazy run.”
Punk, 43, defeated “Hangman” Adam Page at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas to win the belt, his first since 2013. At the United Center in his hometown of Chicago, he was due to battle Hiroshi Tanahashi of New Japan Pro Wrestling for the AEW championship at the organizations’ first collaborative pay-per-view, “Forbidden Door.” Punk, on the other hand, regards the injury as a setback from which he will recover. Punk stated that he was prepared to give up the championship, but AEW president Tony Khan refused.
Punk said he was willing to relinquish the title, but AEW president Tony Khan did not want him to.
“I told you I was going to go until the wheels fall off. The wheels are still there they haven’t fallen off,” Punk said. “It’s just that one of them happened to be broken. I’ve felt better than I did today. But I am here to tell you I’ve also felt a hell of a lot worse. This is a bump in the road. It hurts. It hurt like hell. I want to wrestle for you right now.”
A battle royal will open next week’s “AEW Dynamite” and the winner will face Jon Moxley in the main event to earn a spot in the match at Forbidden Door against another challenger to be determined.
AEW announced Saturday that Hiroshi Tanahashi will face Hirooki Goto at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Dominion pay-per-view on June 12, with the winner going to Forbidden Door to challenge for the interim world championship against the AEW representative.
In his first appearance as champion earlier this week on Dynamite, Punk could been seen limping after his tag team match with FTR against Max Caster and the Gunn Club and later when he came out to confront MJF in fans’ video after the cameras stopped rolling. Fightful reported Punk was dealing with a foot injury.
Punk returned to professional wrestling after seven years away when he made his AEW debut last August. This was supposed to be his third career “Summer of Punk” with him as champion to potentially give AEW the best chance to raise its profile and reach a new audience on the back of Punk’s stardom. That won’t happen now.
“The last thing I ever wanted to feel was like I was letting any of you down,” Punk said. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was leave you feeling disappointed, so I hope thus far I haven’t made you feel that way. I have loved every single second I have been in this ring. Every single time I’ve been in this ring in front of all of you is a gift I never thought I’d get to experience again.”
He tweeted at 8:15 p.m. on Friday that he would be on Rampage with an important announcement in regards to the AEW world championship and his future and asking people to tune in, which immediate sparked injury concerns that proved to be true. Punk said he doesn’t want to hold AEW up and that there is a long list of people who can be the company’s champion. He mentioned Bryan Danielson and Moxley. Punk vows to be back to reclaim his spot at the top again.14
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“The get back is going to be bigger than the set back,” Punk said. “I’m champion for a reason and I’m going to show you exactly why. I will come back bigger, faster, stronger and hungrier than ever before and god dammit I’ve prove why I’m the best in the word!”
