'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
CM Punk's pro wrestling return garnered one of the biggest reactions in recent memory, and WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was quite impressed with this response.
CM Punk made his return to pro wrestling at AEW Rampage: The First Dance, and he received an incredibly loud reaction from fans in attendance. Some fans in attendance could be seen shedding tears of joy.
Punk's return had been anticipated by fans for a quite a while now. Shortly after Punk made his AEW debut, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry posted a tweet in which he praised the fans' reaction to Punk's appearance. Check out the tweet below:
CM Punk is still relevant seven years after his WWE exit
There aren't many wrestlers who can leave the business for years on end and come back to an insane pop. CM Punk is one of the very few who managed to stay in the spotlight years after he quit WWE in 2014.
CM Punk's last outing was the 2014 Royal Rumble match on January 26, 2014. Due to several backstage issues, Punk quit the company immediately after this bout, forcing Vince McMahon to make drastic changes to WrestleMania XXX's plans.
The original plan for the mega event called for CM Punk facing Triple H singles match, plus Daniel Bryan taking on Sheamus. Punk's exit led to Bryan being inserted into the main event match, which he eventually won.
The CM Punk return rumors started a while ago when Sean Ross Sapp provided the big scoop via Fightful Select, sending the wrestling world into a frenzy.
“Fightful Select learned last week that CM Punk has been in talks to make a return to pro wrestling as an in-ring performer, with sources indicating that AEW is the most likely landing point," wrote Ross Sapp.
Speculation had been running wild ever since this report came out, but many fans still doubted that Punk would actually make his AEW debut. The unthinkable has finally happened, though, and CM Punk is back where he belongs - a pro wrestling ring.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how Punk is handled by AEW in the coming months.
What do you think of Punk's return? Was it executed to perfection, or did you expect more from it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
