91 months since his last professional wrestling match, CM Punk has made his in-ring return, defeating Darby Allin.

The match, which was the former WWE Champion’s first since the 2014 Royal Rumble, saw CM Punk defeat Darby Allin with the GTS at AEW All Out, much to the pleasure of the crowd in Chicago.

Many fans didn’t think we’d ever seen CM Punk back in wrestling after he left the industry in 2014, so the image of seeing CM Punk back in a ring after over 7 years was emotional, particularly given the event took place in Punk’s home state.

Many expected the match to main event the pay-per-view, but the match ended up going on third from last.

CM Punk returned to wrestling at the August 20 episode of Rampage, also in Chicago. The show, which also took place in Chicago, sold out based on the rumour and speculation that Punk would be showing up.

AEW never stated that Punk would be there, but Tony Khan and members of the roster certainly did not deny that the Straight Edge Superstar would be making his return at the show.

For news on what AEW has planned next for CM Punk now that he’s got his first match out of the way, stay tuned to GiveMeSport.