Booed in Canada, CM Punk Finds Unexpected Support From Japan After AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door PPV

AEW faithful love to hate CM Punk. The Second City Saint is no stranger to controversies and is ever ready for a fight, as proven by his no-holds-barred take on subjects. This habit of his hasn’t earned him favor from fans of pro wrestling. The dislike was evident during Punk’s entrance at the Forbidden Door PPV in Toronto, Canada.

But despite all the hate he rolled with, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The 44-year-old has fortuitously unearthed a legion of fans on the other side of the world.

CM Punk’s gesture wins hearts in Japan

Punk was absent for close to a year after the AEW All Out fiasco last year. The infamous backstage brawl led to the suspension of many talents, including CM Punk. However, he made his return to AEW at the promotion’s third weekly show. At the inaugural episode of Collision, Punk, and FTR took on Samoa Joe, Jay White, and Juice Robinson in the main event and won.

As the match took place in his hometown of Chicago, there was no dearth of support. But it soon vanished as Punk featured in other cities. The prime example was the hostile crowd at Scotiabank Arena in Canada’s Toronto, where the second edition of AEW and NJPW’s joint venture- Forbidden Door took place.

The former AEW champion took on Japanese pro wrestling legend Satoshi Kojima in the first round of the Owen Hart tournament. While Punk won after a hard-fought battle, he was heavily booed and his opponent was cheered. But keeping up with the spirit of the sport, Punk embraced his opponent and even raised his hand as a goodwill gesture after the match.

This helped him make several fans in Japan. According to a tweet, “Japanese fans are amazed by the Canadian audience’s reaction to Punk, and they claim that no one can generate that much heat and passionate reaction in Japanese pro wrestling anymore.”

“…despite being a legend, Kojima is not well-treated in New Japan, and that foreign fans treat him better was very touching. They also expressed gratitude to Punk for helping Kojima get cheered during the match and for being genuinely respectful to Kojima after the match,” it said. Meanwhile, Punk still has pressing issues to address.

When will CM Punk resolve his longstanding conflicts?

The boos that CM Punk received from the Canadian crowd were also a result of his fallout with a local hero- Kenny Omega. The leader of The Elite and Punk is not on the same page, especially after the aforementioned brawl. And not just Omega, Punk has unresolved disputes with the other members of the Elite.

Read More: CM Punk Got the Exact Reaction at Forbidden Door, as Many Had Anticipated for Weeks He Would Get Outside Chicago

The heat is such that AEW had to put them in separate quarters to avoid confrontation and an untoward situation as a result. This was also the first time that Punk and Omega had a match at the same event, after the All Out incident.

But how long will Tony Khan and the AEW management keep them from facing one another? Fans would love to see the two legends sit down and resolve their issues. If not anything, it augurs well for the promotion.

So, what’s your take on Punk’s new fan base? Are you a supporter of CM Punk? Let us know in the comments.

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