CM Punk Publicly Ribbed as Newly Crowned AEW World Champion Takes Shots at Being the “Best in the World”

It seems like Tony Khan isn’t done with CM Punk despite undergoing a tumultuous time in the ring in his last appearance. After the release of the AEW All In backstage footage, Khan thought fans would be on his side. However, that backfired, with fans siding with the WWE star. Furthermore, the airing of the footage gained Khan and the company criticism from critics and experts. Now, it seems like another jab has been launched in the Second City Saint’s direction from AEW’s new World Champion.

Now, after the dust has barely settled, it seems like AEW is kicking it back up again. Here is all you need to know.

Swerve Strickland takes a dig at CM Punk by using his iconic line

At AEW Dynasty this past Sunday, Samoa Joe defended his AEW World title against Swerve Strickland. After failing to win it at Revolution, he finally became the first African American to win it. This was a proud moment for him and a culmination of everything he fought for. However, while celebrations were in place, Strickland took a jab at a former World Champion, CM Punk. On AEW Rampage, Strickland was set to defend his title against Claudio Castagnoli. However, before the match, he cut a promo. He said, “The best in the world is whoever is holding this championship.”

The line ‘Best in the world’ is synonymous with Punk, who made it famous during his first run in the WWE. While many fans debate whether or not the jab was necessary, it is clear that AEW is not done with Punk. After Punk’s interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, the wrestling community kicked a hornet’s nest. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in AEW’s favor. But, now the question remains: was the jab a work or a shoot?

Strickland always had positive things to say about CM Punk

Looking back at Swerve Strickland’s interview on Bootleg Kev just a month ago, it’s clear that the AEW World champion liked Punk. He said. “Didn’t interact with him a lot, but I always had positive interactions.” This line clears the air that Strickland’s promo was nothing but a friendly jab at the WWE star.

Another line from the same interview is, “He’s always been a positive influence on me.” What do you think Swerve Strickland meant in his promo? Was he really dissing Punk, or was it more of a playful jab at the former AEW World Champion? Are you excited that Strickland successfully defended his title on Rampage? Tell us your thoughts on the matter in the comments.