Michael Cole drops a surprising AEW reference during WWE RAW's debut on Netflix

Michael Cole was back on the commentator's desk of WWE RAW for its debut show on Netflix. However, the veteran announcer referred to the company's direct competitor, AEW, during one of the high-profile matches of the night.

WWE RAW celebrated its monumental move to Netflix with a spectacular debut show. The event, which took place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, was a blockbuster. The historic night was headlined by the highly anticipated dream match between Seth Rollins and CM Punk. However, Michael Cole dropped an interesting reference about AEW as the match was about to begin.

During CM Punk's entrance to the ring, Cole mentioned that he had been away from WWE for 10 years. He also acknowledged his time in AEW, which began in 2021 and lasted until August 2023, calling them "the other company."

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CM Punk wore an iconic jacket for his match against Seth Rollins for WWE RAW's debut show on Netflix

Michael Cole was not the only one to drop a reference from CM Punk's past tenure. The Best in the World himself brought back something from his last days in AEW.

As witnessed on the RAW's Netflix debut show, CM Punk wore a dark jacket with three Xs on the back. This was the same outfit he wore for AEW All In 2023, which was his last appearance for the company.

CM Punk was fired by AEW President and CEO Tony Khan after All In 2023. He had a real-life brawl with Jack Perry backstage before his match with Samoa Joe. A few months later, The Best in the World returned to the Stamford-based company and has been on a remarkable run since then.

Moreover, CM Punk was also victorious against Seth Rollins on RAW on Netflix debut. With The Best in the World laying out his plans, it will be interesting to see his journey following one of the biggest wins of his career.