CM Punk references four WWE stars during hard-hitting AEW promo

CM Punk has returned to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) following a spell out of action with injury – and he is already namedropping several WWE stars in promos.

Punk announced on the June 3 edition of Dynamite that he had an injury, and was going to require surgery.

The AEW World Champion at the time, many fans believed that the Chicago native would have to drop the belt whilst he spent time away from the ring.

However, that didn’t happen. Instead, AEW held a tournament to crown an Interim World Champion. It was won by Jon Moxley, who still has the belt today.

Punk returned to AEW last week following a two-month absence. He appeared on the AEW: Quake at the Lake event, confronting Moxley after the main event.

This week, things went up a gear as Punk and Moxley met inside the ring for a gripping promo. Furthermore, there were several WWE references.

CM Punk mentions WWE stars in AEW promos

Since his return to AEW, and professional wrestling, last year, Punk has namedropped several WWE wrestlers into promos. During a segment with MJF earlier this year, ‘The Best in the World’ mentioned The Miz and John Cena.

With the ‘forbidden door‘ that exists between WWE and AEW – something that doesn’t look like changing any time soon – it is always notable when Superstars get mentioned on the opposing brand.

During the recent edition of Dynamite, Punk told Moxley that when he defeats him in their title match in Chicago, it won’t be the first wrestler called John that he has beaten there.

This was a clear reference to Cena, who Punk defeated for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank in 2011. He subsequently walked out of the company with the title, with his contract expiring in storyline.

Punk then turned his attention to two of the top WWE stars today. During the segment, he stated to the crowd: “Jon Moxley is the third best guy in his group. That seems to be a recurring theme in his career.”

He was referring to the Blackpool Combat Club group, which contains Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson. However, it was also a call-back to Moxley’s days in WWE as part of The Shield. Then going by the ring name of Dean Ambrose, Moxley was part of one of the most influential groups in professional wrestling. He performed alongside Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

Finally, Punk called Eddie Kingston the ‘second best Kingston’ he’d ever worked with, an apparent reference to having worked with Kofi Kingston in WWE.

With Rollins and Reigns at the top of the table in WWE, Kingston a former WWE Champion, and Moxley reigning supreme in AEW, it’s fair to say that all four men have done well for themselves. Punk hasn’t done too badly, either.

Featured Image Credit: AEW / YouTube