CM Punk returned to WWE last year after nearly a decade away from the promotion. Although he made his comeback to wrestling in 2021 after a seven-year hiatus, his time with AEW became controversial due to backstage tensions with the EVPs, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega.
Punk’s altercation with The Elite at All Out in 2022 and Jack Perry at All In 2023 also stirred controversy. Following the backstage incident with Perry, AEW fired Punk. Meanwhile, WWE programming began teasing and speculating about his return. On November 25, 2023, Punk made his long-awaited WWE return at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Punk, who left WWE in 2014 due to creative differences and health issues, decided to set aside their past differences and make his return after almost a decade. His return at Survivor Series: WarGames triggered a furious response from Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. Meanwhile, another top star, Dominik Mysterio, expressed that welcoming Punk back to WWE felt like a dishonor.
Mysterio and Punk faced off at the post-Christmas event at Madison Square Garden, marking the latter’s first match in WWE in nearly ten years. Dirty Dom, who spoke about his experience with Punk in their first match, now wants to face him again.
Dominik Mysterio says he would challenge CM Punk again
In an interview with No Contest Wrestling, Dominik Mysterio shared his thoughts on being former WWE Champion CM Punk’s first opponent back then. He described the experience as a “dishonor,” mentioning that Punk appeared out of shape.
Mysterio stated, “I had the great dishonor of welcoming Punk back after ten long years. And, you know, it was everything I expected it to be: just an old man trying to do his thing, thinks he’s still got it. I’m pretty sure you guys saw the match — he went out there in some plain black underwear. Didn’t even have his gear, and it was definitely a sight to see.”
He continued, “Overall, I’m glad the company was able to trust me to get in there with CM Punk and you know give him his first couple of punches back as a nice welcome-home gift… That energy we had in there was definitely something special.”
He also recalled a past memory when Punk sang Happy Birthday to his sister, Aalyah Gutierrez, in the infamous 2009 segment from WWE SmackDown. Now, Dominik feels ready for a rematch, stating, “I would love to get my hands on him again, you know. Now that I’m prepared and ready. I’ve seen kind of what he can do. So, it’s nothing special. He does the same things. So, I’m pretty sure I can read his playbook. Or, actually, here’s a good one, I know his move set.”
CM Punk and Dominik Mysterio faced off twice during the post-Christmas event, with the former WWE Champion emerging victorious both times. Mysterio is now ready for a rematch, aiming to secure a win this time around when they eventually face off.
