CM Punk Sticks It to WWE in Pro Wrestling Return; Makes AEW Debut 1 Night Before SummerSlam

(Photo : Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Queensbury Pictures / Dark Sky Films) CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Actor Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks attends the red carpet Premiere of "Girl on the Third Floor" at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 18, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

CM Punk is back. The 42-year-old Chicago native made his much-anticipated return to professional wrestling in his home state of Illinois on Friday night, appearing in front of a stunned crowd at United Center for his All Elite Wrestling debut. Punk's AEW switch comes one night before WWE's SummerSlam, delivering a huge blow to the company he previously worked for.

This Friday on #AEWRampage in case you missed it, @CMPunk has returned to professional wrestling and is #AllElite pic.twitter.com/QTTZmY3y92
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 22, 2021

It wasn't a complete surprise to see the crowd go nuts once Living Colour's "The Cult of Personality" was played inside the venue. The fans in attendance knew the long wait was finally over and that the Prodigal Son has ended his seven-year hiatus from the sport.

CM Punk returns to pro wrestling after lengthy feud with WWE

CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, was released by WWE in 2014 after a lengthy public dispute with boss Vince McMahon with the termination attributed to the wrestler's health concerns. The way it was handled left a sour taste in the mouths of wrestling fans, however, as CM Punk was fired on the day of his wedding.

McMahon later spoke with Steve Austin in an interview on the WWE Network, apologizing for the poor timing of Punk's firing. The damage was already done, though, and Punk's relationship with the WWE appeared to be all but over.

It didn't help matters that WWE doctor Chris Amann filed a defamation lawsuit against CM Punk in 2018 after the wrestler criticized his WWE medical treatment in a 2014 podcast with Colt Cabana. The jury eventually ruled in favor of Punk, but this further soured relations between the two parties.

After his WWE stint, CM Punk tried his luck in the UFC, but he failed to meet the expectations of his adoring fans. He lost his MMA debut against Mikey Gall in the first round in 2016 before falling to Mike Jackson by unanimous decision in 2018. That result was later changed to a no-contest, though, as Jackson failed a drug test in that fight. CM Punk hasn't fought since, ending his UFC career with a 0-1-0 slate.

CM Punk to fight Darby Allin at AEW All Out

CM Punk may be abysmal inside the Octagon, but he is a star in professional wrestling. Now that he has signed with AEW, CM Punk can become an even bigger star in the wrestling world. More importantly for CM Punk, though, his love for wrestling has been restored with his move to AEW, saying that his new company "felt like a home."

.@CMPunk jumping into the crowd was awesome 🙌

(via @AEW) pic.twitter.com/6nLJrjbupp
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) August 21, 2021

Fans are now waiting in anticipation for the upcoming storylines that Punk will be involved in. What is certain is that Punk will be fighting Darby Allin at the All Out pay per view on September 5. The three-time WWE World Heavyweight champion called out Allin during AEW Rampage, setting the stage for a titanic clash in Chicago.