CM Punk, FTR Win in AEW Collision Debut after Punk's Return from Injury

CM Punk and FTR defeated Samoa Joe, Jay White and Juice Robinson in a six-man tag team match in the main event of the debut episode of AEW Collision on Saturday night.

Punk last wrestled at the All Out pay-per-view in September 2022, beating Jon Moxley in the main event to become a two-time AEW world champion.

However, the 44-year-old veteran suffered a torn triceps, forcing him to vacate the title and take several months off to heal.

As Punk's anticipated return drew closer, All Elite Wrestling announced the debut of a new weekly Saturday show called Collision, leading to speculation and rumors about his return.

The whispers grew even louder when AEW president Tony Khan announced that the first episode of Collision would be held in Punk's hometown of Chicago, which always gives its local hero a hugely positive reaction.

Shortly thereafter, AEW confirmed that The Best in the World would be the face of Collision, and it was eventually established that he would team with close friends Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler in the first main event on the show.

At the top of the show, Punk came out and addressed his hometown crowd, calling out his haters and those that want him to change his ways. He doesn't plan on it.

And his early appearance drove the audience into a frenzy.

Joe, who is the reigning Ring of Honor television champion, has a long history with Punk dating back to their time together in ROH in the 2000s.

They had a classic rivalry and many memorable matches in the promotion, making Joe's involvement in Punk's first match back fitting.

Also, White has been viewed by a large portion of the AEW fanbase as a potentially great opponent for Punk moving forward, and Saturday's match may have laid the groundwork for them to work against each other more in the future.

Ultimately, there was little doubt Punk would win his return match in his hometown, and now that he has the win under his belt, he can be reintegrated into storylines moving forward and made into the focal point of Collision.

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