AEW world champion CM Punk returned on Wednesday’s “Dynamite,” and looks to be ready for a title unification match with interim champ Jon Moxley at “All Out.”
Punk made his return to TV after Moxley tapped out former champ Chris Jericho in a bloody main event, running to the ring and clearing house following a series of run-ins, first from the Jericho Appreciation Society, then a group of babyfaces.
Punk had been off TV since June 1 with a foot injury that required surgery. He had won the AEW world title at “Double or Nothing” on May 29, defeating “Hangman” Adam Page.
After clearing the ring, Punk and Moxley stood face to face. Moxley ended the brief encounter by flipping the bird at Punk.
That’s likely the signal that Moxley will work the pending feud over the belt as the heel.
Also on the show
- Page declined an offer from The Young Bucks to be their partner in the upcoming trios tournament. The Bucks and a mystery partner are scheduled to face La Faccion Ingobernable (Andrade El Idolo, Rush and Dragon Lee) in the opening match of the tournament on next week’s “Dynamite.” The bet here is that the mystery partner will be former AEW champ Kenny Omega.
- TBS champ Jade Cargill retained with a pinfall win over Madison Rayne. This is why you have Rayne around to help coach the women’s division. She helped Cargill shine in a longer match than you’re used to seeing from her. Athena confronted Cargill after the match. Nice slow build going on there.
- FTR returns, but not for much. The return of the best tag team in the world came as a run-in to back up Wardlow in his standoff with Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh. Tony Khan, frustratingly, doesn’t seem to know what to do with FTR. The tag belts are on a makeshift team (Swerve in Our Glory, Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland), and he is allowing the Bucks to turn face, so … we get FTR as the appendage to a midcard singles feud. Wonderful.
- Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm on a collision course. Storm is the top contender now, with Kris Statlander back on the shelf with an injury suffered in the Aug. 5 TV tapings. This, of course, was always where the ThunderStorm tag team was going. Rosa and Storm are two of the three building blocks in the women’s division (Britt Baker will always be the centerpiece). Their vignette last night was friendly, but it will eventually heat up.
Looking ahead
- Friday’s “Rampage”: Hook, Bryan Danielson and Swerve in Our Glory all speak, the Gunn Club faces Danhausen and Erick Redbeard, Parker Boudreaux vs. Sonny Kiss, Orange Cassidy vs. Ari Daivari, and Sammy Guevara & Tay Melo defend the AAA world mixed tag belt vs. Dante Martin & Skye Blue.
- Next week’s “Dynamite”: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. The Young Bucks and their mystery partner, Toni Storm vs. KiLynn King, Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia in a best-of-three falls match.
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Chris Graham
