CM Punk Dedicates AEW Return Match to WWE Hall of Famer

CM Punk is returning to professional wrestling. After months of speculation, the Second City Saint was officially announced to be part of the upcoming AEW Collision show, and his involvement on the premiere has since been confirmed. This past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, AEW President Tony Khan announced that AEW Collision's first show will be headlined by a trios match, with the team of Jay White, Juice Robinson and Ring of Honor Television Champion Samoa Joe taking on AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR and CM Punk. This marks the second time Punk and FTR have tagged together, as they previously worked alongside one another in the now-infamous AEW Dynamite match that saw Punk break his foot during his entrance.

Following the announcement, Punk took to Instagram to share a couple of images. He began with a boomerang of himself in a Bret Hart hoodie, captioning the story, "For Bret." Punk then shared a photo of himself celebrating his AEW World Championship victory at AEW Double or Nothing 2022 with FTR as well as the match graphic for AEW Collision on June 17th.

Punk has never been shy about his fandom for the WWE Hall of Famer, especially since joining AEW in Summer 2021.

"I love Bret Hart, and his career got cut short. It's a tragedy because there are people that go over to Saudi Arabia, and they get paid millions of dollars, and that should've been Bret," Punk said during the AEW Revolution post-show press conference. "I just feel super fortunate and grateful and appreciative that I got a second chance. I'd give it up in a heartbeat to give it to Bret. But I'm going to enjoy it. I just love that motherf--ker so much. He's the greatest, and he was right. Bret Hart was always right."

Punk's comments there allude to Hart's career-ending injury that came during a match with Goldberg in 1999. Goldberg botched a kick, striking Hart hard enough to concuss him. While the severity of the injury was not immediately known, that spot would ultimate end Hart's in-ring career.

While Punk and Hart were never able to have a match against one another, they have shared the ring before.

Many have clamored for Hart to make a managerial appearance for either Punk or FTR at an AEW show, but Hart's WWE Legends contract prevents that from happening. Hart worked one AEW show before, presenting the AEW World Title at AEW All Out 2019.

AEW Collision goes down on Saturday, June 17th at 8 PM ET.