Newly-signed AEW star CM Punk, who made his All Elite Wrestling debut during tonight’s episode of AEW Rampage, discussed his return to the professional wrestling business, potential feuds, how long he has been talking to AEW President Tony Khan and more in a post-show media scrum, which also included an appearance from Khan.

CM Punk said that he did not want to disclose how long his contract with All Elite Wrestling is, to which Tony Khan agreed, before noting that Punk’s contract with AEW is not a short-term contract, nor is CM Punk on a part-time contract. Punk said that he had been talking to Tony Khan for about a year and a half about coming to All Elite Wrestling and that he could not have debuted without fans in the building and said that him giving back to the fans with ice cream bars at the United Center tonight was his idea, inspired by Jon Lester when he left the city to thank the fans.

CM Punk said that he has not seen episodes of AEW Dark or AEW Dark: Elevation and does not really use YouTube, noting that he watches DVD’s and now feels like Terry Funk, but that he will watch everything he can moving forward. Punk said that he is a big fan of Britt Baker and said that she is a great example of how to get a talent over in the professional wrestling business. Punk said that it was Tony Khan’s idea for him to do a program with Darby Allin upon his AEW debut and that if he was a teenager in today’s era, then Darby would be his favorite wrestler and said that he does not want to be on the receiving end of Darby’s Coffin Drop move.

CM Punk said that a lot of time, in his talks with All Elite Wrestling, they said the same things at the same times and said that wrestling does not need to be as hard as people pretend that it needs to be and that you do not need an overload of cooks in the kitchen. Punk said that AEW allows people to learn from their mistakes and that a generation of wrestler’s had been told in the past that if they messed up, then they were fired. Punk said that All Elite Wrestling did not have to prove anything to him and that it was more about him being open to it and noted that he wanted to dip his toes in with his WWE Backstage appearances and blamed Renee Paquette for him returning to the wrestling business, because she encouraged him to do WWE Backstage.

Tony Khan said that there wasn’t really a consideration to bring CM Punk back to the professional wrestling business without the fans and that this in turn gave both sides a lot of time to talk, noting that it was the worst-kept secret of all time. CM Punk said that he told his wife what was happening, but told other people that he couldn’t talk about it. Punk said that the AEW roster, as well as people around AEW not saying anything about Brodie Lee’s illness before he passed away made a big impression on him and said that tonight, he was not hidden away backstage at AEW Rampage and was in the back socializing with the roster before the show got underway. Punk said that his return was the worst-kept secret by design and that surprises and anticipation in wrestling can still happen, even in that case and that he is happy that AEW did not advertise his return.

CM Punk stated that he is sure that he will do a bit of everything in AEW like commentary, wrestling and such and that he wants to give back to the wrestling business, noting that he was not in the place to wrestle for the past few years and wasn’t able to give back. Tony Khan said that in regards to tonight, they collaborated on the idea to do a short-promoted show and that it came together exactly how they wanted, noting that they wanted a surprise, but for everyone to anticipate it. Punk was questioned if he has smoothed anything over with AEW wrestlers that he has had issues with and said that he has not had a problem with anyone in the back today. Punk then opened an ice cream bar that was starting to melt and jokingly stated that the internet will let him know if he’s fat when he steps back inside the ring on September 5th.

Punk was questioned about people that he wants to work with and mentioned Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Jungle Boy and said that Tony Khan knows who else is coming in the future. Punk said that Sting told him that he was excited to work with him and that he wished that he could have done so in his prime. Tony Khan was questioned about Daniel Garcia being in the main event against Jon Moxley and siad that Garcia has been great in the situations that he has been involved in with AEW, noting that he is under an agreement with the company and that they hope that he is around for a long time, with Khan stating that Garcia has improved his workrate since his car accident.

The questioning went back to Punk who was asked about appearing in other promotions, to which Punk stated that he is an AEW guy but has the freedom to continue commentating on MMA events and to do other outside projects before noting that if Tony Khan told him that he wanted him to be part of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 CLIMAX, then they would talk about it, but that for now, he wants to swim in the AEW pool.