Watch: CM Punk Vows to Finally Beat Samoa Joe on AEW Collision in the Owen Hart Cup

By Connor Casey

CM Punk's history with Samoa Joe turns two decades old next month and the pair's trilogy of matches for the Ring of Honor World Championship back in 2004 helped define independent pro wrestling for years to come. But for all that Punk has accomplished in his time in Ring of Honor, WWE and now AEW, he has never been able to beat Joe in a one-on-one match. The pair haven't shared the ring in singles competition since 2005, but that'll finally change on this week's AEW Collision when they meet in the semifinals of the 2023 Owen Hart Cup tournament. 

Both Punk and Joe cut pre-taped promos on this week's AEW Dynamite ahead of the match, with Pun vowing to finally topple "The Samoan Submission Machine." He started off by saying, "I look at Joe like a mountain that I've never quite made the summit. Another chapter in the book of Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk. This chapter ends differently for me though, it ends differently for you too. Because I'm going to win this time."

Last week's Collision saw Joe beat Roderick Strong in the opening round, then send him out on a stretcher by slamming him onto a steel chair. Punk said Joe would have to do that to him in order to keep him down this time. 

"Punker, there's never been a day in your life where you've been better than me. Next week on Collision, nothing changes," Joe said menacingly. 

Tony Khan on CM Punk's Mixed Crowd Reaction

Punk returned to AEW TV on the Collision premiere last month to an ovation from his hometown of Chicago. But the reaction from fans in the weeks since then has been noticeably mixed, even during the recent Forbidden Door pay-per-view in Toronto. Tony Khan addressed that in a recent interview on Busted Open Radio. 

"I wasn't surprised about that at all given that we were in Canada and given some of the things that happened in the lead-up to the show, in particular, since the last time he wrestled," Khan said. "So I think as we go on the road, we're going to get a lot of great responses. But just like a sports team, it depends on where you're at. Some sports teams are really popular in home cities, and then when they go on the road, it depends. Definitely, I thought this was like a road game for him, and he did great."

AEW Dynamite Card (July 5th)

  • Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament: AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin def. Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland vs. 
  • Owen Hart Tournament: Ruby Soho vs. Dr. Britt Baker DMD
  • Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament: AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Adam Cole def. Matt Menard & The Butcher
  • Kenny Omega vs. Wheeler Yuta
  • The Acclaimed def. The Blade & The Bollywood Boyz
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