CM Punk References Controversial AEW Match Finish on MMA Broadcast

By Liam Crowley

CM Punk has suffered his first singles loss of 2023. The Second City Saint was defeated by Ricky Starks in the finals of the Owen Hart Cup Tournament this past Saturday on AEW Collision. There was some controversy surrounding the match's finish, as Starks rolled up Punk and held onto the second rope to give his pinfall some leverage. Punk was visibly shook by the sudden loss after the bell, with referee Bryce Remsburg also looking towards the ropes suspiciously. Stark celebrated his victory as AEW Collision went off the air and was presented with both his trophy and commemorative belt on AEW Battle of the Belts shortly after.

While the Owen Hart Cup Tournament is in the rear view, it appears that Punk's feud with Starks is just getting started. During his commentary appearance on CFFC122 on Thursday, Punk made a sly reference to the events that transpired on AEW Collision. 

"The legendary Jimmy Hart is here and he's my manager. He's going to keep an eye out, make sure nobody cheats, maybe hands on the ropes or anything like that," Punk said. "They say Saturday nights are alright for fighting, turns out Thursday is too."

This is not the first time that Punk has referenced AEW on a CFFC broadcast. This past fall, Punk alluded to the reports about him following the AEW All Out locker room fight.

"I'm bad news, you don't want me in the locker room," Punk joked in November.

The Pattern in CM Punk's AEW Singles Losses

CM Punk has laced up his boots 28 times since returning to professional wrestling and joining AEW in Summer 2021. Punk has been largely successful in his AEW career thus far, holding a record of 24-4. Three of his Ls have come in singles matches, and the full trio have one thing in common: none have been completely clean, decisive defeats.

Punk's first loss came on a February 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite where he was beat by Maxwell Jacob Friedman. That bout saw MJF utilize his Dynamite Diamond Ring to strike Punk and pick up the win.

Punk's cleanest loss came later that summer, again on AEW Dynamite against Jon Moxley. The two were set to unify the AEW World Championship. Early in the contest, Punk landed awkwardly on his previously-injured foot, leading to Moxley taking advantage and quickly picking up the win. While Moxley didn't cheat, he did gain an unexpected advantage.

The trend continued against Starks, as the Absolute One used his the ropes to ensure a pinfall victory.

AEW Collision returns on Saturday, airing at 8 PM ET on TNT.

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