As promised, CM Punk made his return during last night's AEW Collision premiere, and his promo...well, it left us with plenty to discuss.
The Best in the World carried out a bag and his wrestling boots to the ring, and seemed to play into both being a babyface and heel (he's likely aware that, outside of Chicago, the response he'll get from fans of The Elite is likely to be a little less friendly).
The line that really sent the internet into a frenzy came when Punk said, "You know what David Zaslav calls me? One Bill Phil. That's because I am the one true genuine article in a business full of counterfeit Bucks."
Despite not directly mentioning "Brawl Out" or his issues with The Elite, this was a clear shot at Nick and Matt Jackson, though we don't believe this was an example of Punk going into business for himself. In fact, The Young Bucks have already changed their Twitter bio to read, "If it were 2018, we'd already have a 'Counterfeit Bucks' shirt available on PWT. Kill it y'all!"
Something tells us a match may indeed be on the horizon.
After getting "F*ck the Elite!" chants from the crowd, Punk made it clear the King is back and, despite what some people might be hoping for, he won't be leaving his boots in the ring to retire. He does, however, have his old AEW World Championship and promised he won't give it up until someone takes it from him.
Later in the night, Punk and FTR successfully defeated ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe, Jay White, and Juice Robinson.
Check out some highlights from AEW Collision, including Punk's full promo, below.