Following Saturday’s AEW Collision in Greensboro, NC, “Real” AEW World Champion CM Punk appeared to keep the heat on Adam Page.
The House of Black defeated Punk and AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR in the Collision main event to retain the AEW World Trios Titles. Punk gave a promo to the live audience after Collision ended, which included shots at Hangman, as seen in the video below.
Punk’s shots at Page was inspired by a fan sign that read, “Carolina Is Hangman Country.” He recalled a visit to a local store and referred to Page as a “peg warmer” because no one buys his action figures, so they sit on the store shelf pegs, unlike Punk, who “moves merchandise, pops ratings, and sells toys.”
Punk also had a message for those who claim to be the “heart, soul, and spirit” of AEW, but he misspoke about the GTS and apologized for it. He also mentioned how he told The House of Black he didn’t want chops, but they still chopped him.
The following video is from the post-show promo, along with a transcript of what was said, courtesy of PWI:
Dax Harwood: Alright. I got my shit rocked. I can admit it, but damn it, we are in North Carolina. Huh? Y’all, y’all thought I was gonna take the 1, 2, 3 and not say something? No, no, no. That ain’t how it goes here. Tomorrow. And I literally just realized this. Tomorrow is August the 13th, right? If you go back in 2004, August the 13th was Friday. Friday the 13th. And that’s when I started my journey as a professional wrestler. 19, 19 years ago. It was a journey that started way before that, a 39 year old journey because I came out of a womb and I wanted to be a professional wrestler because I love this. What I’m gonna say to you is gonna be cheesy, but it’s not on the TV, so I can still look like a badass if 5’10” baldheaded southern-ass accent, nobody in sight. Not one ab in sight. If I can make it to the top of the wrestling world with it, damn it, y’all can do whatever you want to do, man, woman, and child. You can do whatever you want to do. And believe me as being a 10 time World tag team champion. I’m proof. Now I want to turn it over to two men that I am lucky and blessed and fortunate in all the other things to be in this business with my best friends Cash Wheeler and CM Punk.
CM Punk: Hello, North Carolina. What is this? Huh? What is this? Look at this. “Carolina is Hangman Country.” Earlier today, I went to a local supermarket and I figured out why they call him Hangman is because the pegs in the Toy aisle are full of Hangman action figures. ’cause nobody wants to buy ’em. He’s a peg warmer, unlike me who moves merchandise and pops ratings and sells toys. We got everybody in AEW saying, ‘I’m the heart, I am the soul. I am the spirit.’ Well, that’s objective. What is a fact is the people who say that certainly aren’t the chin of AEW because the lights go out faster than what? GTS, go to sleep. I don’t know what I’m trying to do. I got rocked, too. I told the House, House of Black no chops, and they chopped me, so I’m very mad.
Dax: So I think, I think this is what we call a heel turn. I’m not sure. Maybe I should…
Punk: [to fan in the crowd] Sir. Sir, what are you so mad about? What are you so mad about?
Cash Wheeler: He’s a ginger man. Give him a break. Hey, hey, gingers need love too, buddy. Don’t you give up yet? All right.
Dax: Dude, you’re a cute ginger. Okay? You’re cute. What’s your number? I’m just kidding.
Punk: I just want to legitimately say from the bottom of my heart, I love each and every single one of you. We have sold more tickets tonight than we did the last time we were here. So I seriously appreciate you, in all sincerely. The ones that make the signs that say, CM Skunk. That’s good. The protect Trans Kids sign. The Twist his dick sign.
Wheeler: Don’t twist my gimmick. All right, so who here has heard of McDowell County? Anybody? So, I grew up about two hours down the road in Old Fort North Carolina, population 800. I shouldn’t be here. There’s more people in this building than there is in my hometown by multiples. This right here was literally my dream to come out here, North Carolina, in front of fans like this, in front of people like me and do what I love. So you guys can cheer, you guys can boo. You guys can twist all the dicks you want. I don’t care. This is your money. This is our life. I’m not twisting it, dude. But seriously, thank you guys. I’ll take it a little sad for a minute. My uncle was one of my biggest fans and he lived here in Greensboro and he came to every show that we did in this area, and he passed away earlier this year. So I want to dedicate this one to him tonight. So this one is for Darrell Adams. This one is for all of you. This one’s for us because this is fun for us. I am so lucky to get to come out here and say, this is my job. That’s, that’s, that’s insane to me. So thank you Greensboro. Thank you. North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee. I don’t care. Stick around though. We got some Ring of Honor action coming out. And these, these men and women are gonna give you everything they got. You bet you guys paid for your, you paid for these tickets. Stay here, enjoy ’em. Let’s party a little bit longer, no offense, but Greensboro’s FTR country.
Dax: Top Guys Out.
CM Punk & FTR (CMFTR) speech after #AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/ouV1xkAfVu
— KILLER BROOKS (@CM_Trunks) August 13, 2023
