CM Punk seemingly fires another subtle shot at AEW on SmackDown

CM Punk cut a sensational promo on this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown, which took place in his hometown of Chicago. During the segment, he apparently took another subtle jab at his former employer AEW.

The Best in the World is slated to be a part of this year's WrestleMania 41. He will face Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a triple-threat match in the main event of The Show of Shows.

CM Punk addressed his hometown crowd during his SmackDown promo, claiming that it's the best crowd in the world. He thanked the live crowd and his fans for their immense support. Midway through his promo, he took one of the cameras and started shooting the crowd to show off a sold-out Allstate Arena.

This appears to be a slight jab at All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan's company has been struggling to sell out its arenas for weekly shows and PPVs and has even shifted to smaller venues to tackle this issue in the past few months. They think this would boost demand and foster a "sold-out" vibe, enhancing visual appeal on TV and improving the overall experience for the fans.

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Paul Heyman will be in CM Punk's corner at WrestleMania 41

Later in The Friday Night Show, Roman Reigns called CM Punk out to the ring. After a little back-and-forth on the microphone, The Second City Saint finally cashed in his favor and asked Paul Heyman to be in his corner at WrestleMania. Reigns laughed it off, saying that his Wiseman would never betray him.

Heyman cried in a corner and told Reigns that he couldn't say no to Punk. The Voice of the Voiceless then attacked The Head of the Table and hit him with a GTS. Rollins, who was also in the ring, watched the whole drama unfold and left with a smile on his face. With Punk cashing in his favor, Paul Heyman will be in his corner at WrestleMania this year instead of managing Roman Reigns.