CM Punk to Undergo Surgery After Injury

CM Punk’s run as AEW world champion has hit an early bump in the road.

[{"selector":"#anim-737a8943-bd72-4d41-91aa-be3999aa3f4d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.555265660725322%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d452b3e8-adbd-4387-8130-ec70e025a562","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a59db45-1661-4fb4-8da1-10a4ad860ae7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Just five days after becoming champion, the 43-year-old Punk announced on Friday night’s episode of Rampage that he’s suffered an injury that will require surgery.

[{"selector":"#anim-66c57815-6378-4f73-a0a4-eb830a88b520 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.33133050871829%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4148594c-dee2-410e-975c-3114d2ae0748","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-69c21659-18fe-4c22-a99d-9c1708c22acf","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Punk is not relinquishing the AEW world championship, but an interim champion will be crowned in his absence.

[{"selector":"#anim-4eb7fa33-37e2-4ddc-b639-6dcffbd7ab76 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(5.379018648621926%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04ec2f47-cb01-4199-b762-37606cf49c7f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04dd2dca-c5ab-41bb-b6ec-d06e3b9ae758","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.60510%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Punk described the injury as being a broken “wheel.” He promised to return bigger, faster, stronger, and hungrier than ever before.

[{"selector":"#anim-24f0548f-fc2e-4846-afb4-827220045ac0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05be216f-5870-432f-bb63-08e450ebb5c3","keyframes":[{"transform":"rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","opacity":0},{"transform":"none","opacity":1}],"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both","iterations":1}] With tears in his eyes, Punk addressed the crowd on Rampage. He told the fans he had both good and bad news for them.

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[{"selector":"#anim-ef642774-4413-4646-af0d-090fb652e7d0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.421711671767637%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7c30c729-e44b-4c14-be09-f0fde442c0f7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-464f9d5c-cb85-42f6-875d-57eb00a05c47","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ee6d1aa-0f83-49c2-a801-5caf53799306","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] The good news is, I can still do all that. I told you I was going to go until the wheels fall off. Well, the wheels are still there, they haven’t fallen off.

[{"selector":"#anim-b8f27767-6a52-42f3-a1d2-988b52bac27c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-8.413748710572715%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-02aa25b3-c516-4564-ad41-cf220a03299f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-352d76d5-3ba6-4d85-9f06-e5630067df64","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] It’s just that one of them happens to be broken. But I’ve come back from worse. I’ve felt better than I feel today, but I am here to tell you that I’ve also felt a hell of a lot worse.