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CM Punk marked his in-ring return after seven years with a huge win over Darby Allin at All Out in an excellent match.
It was anybody's guess as to how the Straight Edge Superstar would hold up after such a long time away from the squared circle. The match started slightly slow as there were clear signs of ring rust. Both men went for multiple headlocks and rollups initially, and the Second City Saint acclimatized to the rigors of wrestling a live match.
The pace picked up as the bout went on, and Allin did an unbelievable job selling CM Punk and making him look great.
The finish came when Allin went for a Poisonrana, but the Straight Edge star reversed it to get Allin in position for the Go To Sleep and delivered his finisher to pick up the win.
After the match, Sting made his way to the ring and shook hands with CM Punk, as did Darby Allin, in a great show of respect. The Voice of the Voiceless played to the crowd to end a great segment.
What's next for CM Punk after All Out?
CM Punk was the favorite heading into his match at All Out, even if there were doubts over his ability after such a long hiatus.
Punk looked in excellent shape, and the big question after All Out is, what is next for the former WWE champion?
There have been no hints from AEW's end about what's next. Perhaps CM Punk goes after the TNT champion Miro, who vanquished Eddie Kingston earlier in the night.
Should Kenny Omega retain his AEW World Championship in the All Out main event, a CM Punk-Omega feud would be sensational. However, AEW respects win-loss records a lot, so it's doubtful the Straight Edge Superstar will be immediately thrust into a title program.
Whatever the future holds for him, following his performance at All Out, we can be assured that the best is yet to come from CM Punk.
