C.M. Punk reportedly goes off script during AEW Dynamite promo

C.M. Punk opened this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite after his return last week and did so with a shot at “Hangman” Adam Page.

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Punk bringing up Page to start his promo was not planned and that nobody knew that Punk was going to go that direction.

Punk called Page out and offered him a rematch for his AEW World Championship on the spot. Hangman did not appear on the show. Punk then referred to Page as “coward shit” instead of his traditional “cowboy shit” moniker.

PWTorch can confirm that Hangman was backstage at the show, but it’s not clear if he had a segment that was scrapped due to Punk calling him out and him not responding. It’s not unusual for wrestlers to be flown in or drive in and not be used on TV. Sometimes they record a pre-taped segment for Rampage and other times they just aren’t utilized.

PWTorch has also been told that Tony Khan did meet with Punk in his locker room the afternoon before the show, which would be consistent with reports that Punk was upset with something that day. Punk otherwise was said to seem like his normal self, and after the Punk-Moxley promo there wasn’t a big buzz backstage like something had just gone really off the rails. As with the MJF situation, wrestlers backstage often write off stuff like this as an attempt to “work the internet” and create a buzz for a match coming up later.

C.M. Punk defeated Adam Page at Double or Nothing this year to win the AEW World Championship. Punk was immediately sidelined after winning the title due to a foot injury that required surgery. Punk and Interim AEW World Champion, Jon Moxley, clashed on Dynamite this week and the company announced that next week both will compete in a unification match to crown and undisputed AEW World Champion.

On Wednesday August 24, LIVE at the @wolsteincenter in Cleveland OH, #AEW World Champion @CMPunk will collide with Interim World Champion @JonMoxley for the Undisputed #AEW World Championship! Don't miss your chance to see this LIVE; get tickets at https://t.co/UN1cNj1kQq! pic.twitter.com/FddeYZUduL

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 18, 2022

Jon Moxley won the Interim AEW World Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at the Forbidden Door PPV event while Punk was on the shelf.

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