CM Punk and MJF opened last night’s AEW Dynamite with a back-and-forth promo that clocked in at nearly 20 minutes. All Elite Wrestling decided to upload the entire segment to its YouTube page later that night, and by Wednesday afternoon it had climbed all the way up to No. 2 on YouTube’s trending page. The segment was an absolute master class of a promo. Friedman started off by bringing out the expected insults for Punk — his failed UFC career, his appearance, etc. — only for Punk to fire back by saying he was disappointed that MJF went after the low-hanging fruit despite being hyped up as an unstoppable force with a microphone. He then nailed him with the first big hit of the night by calling him a less-famous version of The Miz.
Friedman retorted by saying Punk’s AEW run so far has been a disappointment and that he’s scared he won’t be able to live up to fan expectations now that he’s finally in a company that’s not holding him back. He also noted that Punk was sounding a lot like John Cena in his interviews and promos and that between Cena and Triple H, he was always considered No. 2. That managed to get under Punk’s skin but he came back with lines about how MJF had been replaced as one of AEW’s four pillars by Dr. Britt Baker, how he chose Darby Allin as his first opponent because he was the true heart and soul of the promotion (not Max), how he always needs backup from The Pinnacle and his diamond ring to win matches and how Friedman would never become the top guy in the company unless Tony Khan had a daughter he could marry and that he was ready for a fight. MJF removed his coat to tease a brawl between the two, only to leave the ring.
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What did you think of MJF and Punk’s first promo segment? When do you think a match between the two should happen? Let us know down in the comments!
Prior to this new MJF feud, Punk was fresh off a violent and personal rivalry with Eddie Kingston. The former WWE Champion beat the fan-favorite at Full Gear at the start of the month, then sent a warning out to the rest of the roster.
“Speaking of losing, I haven’t yet,” Punk said. “And there’s other people in this locker room, if they have problem with me, come see me. Because little by little, day by day, I’m remembering exactly who the f— I am!”
