"It’s like he just wanted to show Tony" - Fans react after CM Punk's cheeky dig at AEW during WWE SmackDown

Wrestling fans have reacted to CM Punk seemingly taking a cheeky dig at AEW during WWE Smackdown. The Friday night flagship show emanated from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on June 21, 2024.

The latest episode of Smackdown featured CM Punk, who opened the show and addressed his rivalry with Drew McIntyre. He also reunited with his former manager, Paul Heyman, and had an encounter with The Bloodline which would not have gone in his favor but for the intervention of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Later in the show, however, Punk was assaulted by McIntyre and was eventually stretchered away into an ambulance presumably to be medically examined.

During his entrance at the start of the show, The Second City Saint was seen turning the camera to the hard-cam side of the arena, which was packed with audience members. He even commented on the impressive attendance for the show.

Check out the clip below:

Wrestling fans took to X/Twitter to react to Punk's gesture, with a large number of them assuming that The Best in the World was taking a shot at AEW and the promotion's purportedly low attendance figures.

Users alluded to the Chicago native's past remarks and criticisms of the Tony Khan-led promotion and its supposed inability to prioritize lucrative, profitable programming over high-quality matches.

One fan even referenced the sharp decline in ratings suffered by the June 19, 2024 edition of AEW Dynamite in relation to Punk potentially firing off at All Elite Wrestling on Smackdown.

Some other fans were also of the opinion that AEW indeed had a lot to lose with Punk taking massive shots at them.

Fans reacting to CM Punk potentially taking a shot at AEW [Image Credits: Various X profiles]

CM Punk made an unforgettable debut in AEW in 2021, returning to pro wrestling for the first time in seven years. Although he was booked as a top star in the Jacksonville-based promotion, his time in the company was marred by frustrations and backstage conflict until his contract was eventually terminated in 2023. The Voice of the Voiceless went on to do the unthinkable by returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023.

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross wishes CM Punk was still with AEW

CM Punk was fired from AEW by Tony Khan due to his involvement in a backstage altercation with Jack Perry during All In 2023. However, that has not prevented the former WWE Champion from staying in touch with a veteran AEW personality.

On a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross stated that he missed CM Punk. Praising the former AEW World Champion for his contributions to All Elite Wrestling, Ross claimed that he wished the promotion had retained Punk as a talent given his undeniable star power.

"I get text messages from him on a somewhat frequent basis because he's just checking on me to see how I'm feeling," Ross said. "He likes me and he respects me, and it's reciprocal ... I miss CM Punk. I thought he contributed greatly to the AEW roster when he was with us. To be perfectly candid, I wish he still was."

Considering that Ross recently suggested that he is not opposed to a WWE return, it remains to be seen whether Good Ol' JR will at any point leave the announcer's desk in AEW to reunite with CM Punk in WWE.