CM Punk wrestled his first match since his shocking return to the WWE after almost a decade away from the company.
Punk stepped into the ring to face off against Dominick Mysterio during a WWE live house show taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City in front of a packed crowd for the company’s traditional day after Christmas show.
After the sold-out crowd erupted when Punk’s entrance music hit, he was eventually serenaded with chants of ‘you still got it’ by the fans in attendance during the match.
Punk went on to win his first contest back in a WWE ring after hitting Mysterio with his finishing move the ‘GTS’ or ‘Go to Sleep’ before picking up the pin fall in the middle of the ring.
Until Tuesday night the 45-year-old Punk had not wrestled a match since September when he fought Samoa Joe during All Elite Wrestling’s record setting All Out Pay-Per-View in London, England before being fired from the company.
CM Punk wrestled his first match since returning to WWE on Tuesday vs Dominick Mysterio
Punk made his surprising return to WWE back in November at their Survivor Series show
The 45-year-old had not wrestled since September after he was fired from All Elite Wrestling
After several months of rumors that he would eventually head back to WWE following his firing from AEW Punk made his return at November’s Survivor Series event and has been used on TV regularly in recent weeks.
Punk also appeared during a Premium Live Event for WWE’s developmental brand NXT several weeks ago while the companied left fans to anticipate which brand he would eventually join full time between Raw, Smackdown, and NXT.
Reports have also indicated that Punk’s WWE deal includes a rarely given behavior clause that would allow the company an easy way to terminate his deal if issues arise.
The clause was likely inserted after two separate incidents of Punk being involved in backstage brawls with his former AEW coworkers that led to his eventual dismal from the company.
Punk had initially been involved in a backstage melee with AEW wrestlers and executive vice presidents Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks back in 2022 which led to all parties involved being suspended.
He then began a separate incident with Jack Perry shortly before All Out this year and also ‘lunged’ at AEW CEO Tony Khan, which was the final straw before his termination.
Punk controversially left WWE the night after the Royal Rumble in 2014 while citing creative frustrations, but also anger at the lack of medical care taken with him at the time.
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