During a recent episode of the “Busted Open Radio” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer and AEW broadcaster Mark Henry discussed tonight’s premiere episode of AEW Collision and CM Punk’s long-anticipated return to AEW.
AEW Collision debuts tonight on TNT at 8:00 PM EST. The show will emanate from the United Center in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, IL.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On being excited for Collision and the return of CM Punk: “I’m excited. I’m excited for more than just Punk, I mean Punk is enough. Punk is somebody that I highly respect, that I feel like is gonna rejuvenate […] the lifeforce of pro wrestling. When you’re away, sometimes you come back, and you feel like, ‘You know what, I can’t rest on my laurels. I gotta push myself to make the fans get all that they need from what they think and what they hope that Punk is.’ And I think that’s what we’re gonna get tomorrow night.”
On how doubt from fans is fire that can fuel Punk: “There is no other feeling that I’ve had in my life that made me feel more like a man than to look at the person that doubted me, and turn my head and go, ‘What’d you say? I don’t hear you. Tell me again what you said that drew this reaction from me. Say it again. Those moments are the best moments for any man and woman that’s prideful. You gotta have pride. I feel like Punk is a prideful man, otherwise, he wouldn’t contest everything. I want a dude to be prideful, and to be aggressive because basically, we going to war together. It might not be a physical war, but it’s a battle of public opinion. It’s a battle of ratings. It’s a battle of whose show is better.”
CM Punk will headline tonight’s show, teaming with FTR against Samoa Joe, Jay White, and Juice Robinson. This will be Punk’s first match since AEW All Out last September.
