CM Punk’s “Tell Me When I’m Telling Lies” Pipe Bomb Recap From AEW Collision

By
Matt Boone
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    “TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES!”
    – CM PUNK (AEW Collision | June 17, 2023)

On Saturday night in “The Windy City,” the consensus “Best in the World” re-appeared.

All Elite Wrestling presented the series premiere of their new weekly two-hour Saturday night prime time cable television show, AEW Collision on TNT, on Saturday night, June 17, 2023 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The show featured the highly-anticipated return of Chicago’s favorite son, CM Punk.

“The Best in the World” kicked off the series premiere of AEW Collision on Saturday night with one of his trademark “pipe bomb” in-ring promo segments.

Featured below, courtesy of our detailed AEW Collision Results – June 17, 2023 here at PWMania.com, is a complete recap of CM Punk’s “TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES” promo from the debut episode of the new weekly Saturday night show.

CM Punk: “TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES!”

From there, the camera pans the venue as fireworks and pyro erupt. Kevin Kelly welcomes us to the debut episode of the show. The camera continues to pan the absolutely packed house inside the United Center in Chicago, Ill.

The crowd immediately starts up a deafening “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chant. The sounds of “Cult of Personality” plays and the crowd goes bonkers. After a slight delay, out he comes and the intensity and sound from the crowd picks up even more.

“The Best in the World” heads out with his new Roddy Piper influenced t-shirt on and a pair of wrestling sneakers tied around his neck. The crowd continues to roar as he heads to the ring and we hear Nigel McGuinness speak up for the first time as Kevin Kelly’s commentary partner.

After he settles in the ring, his music fades down and the “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chants pick up to an insanely loud level. Punk looks to be getting visibly emotional before even speaking. He then begins, “I don’t know if you guys have heard … but I’m tired of being nice.”

He mentions the injury he spent a while recovering from and says he’s back. And as long as he’s here, it’s a wrestling BUSINESS. It’s not a popularity contest. He says tonight we’re gonna have a conversation about the future, but first, he wants to have a conversation about his past.

Punk says if you would have told him when he was 15 years old that he would grow up to sell out the Budokan Hall in Japan and every building in Chicago with a roof, he wouldn’t of believed you. “I’m tired of being nice! Tell me when I’m telling lies!” He says he’s done all these things.

As he continues, he said he’s never fit in more somewhere in his entire life than he has here in the world of professional wrestling. He says he loves the fans because they love him. He says he’s never been one to apologize. He says he’s never been apologetic in his entire career. “I’m me. And I couldn’t have done this without all of you.”

“But it seems there are some people that hate me for the same reasons that you all love me,” he continued. He says he understands the sheer magnitude of him and his mere presence makes people uncomfortable. “Because I am the truth. And the truth is painful.”

He points out a sign in the crowd that says, “CM Punk is my hero.” One that says “Pepsi Phil.” One says “CM Junk.” He says you can call me that. “Love me, cheer me. Hate me, but you don’t do that because you know I’m right.” He mentions someone calling him “One Bill Phil” because he’s the one genuine article in a business “full of counterfeit f*cks.” Or maybe “counterfeit bucks” to go with his “One Buck Phil” line.

“The king is back, baby!” He says after letting a loud “CM Punk!” chant spread around the United Center. He continues, “But I do have a lot to get off my chest.” He says he has one question — “Why would I change?” He says this is what he was trained for. He will always speak truth to power, always be himself and never compromise.

“And then there’s the people who think they’re owed an apology. I’ve grown older and wiser in my years. Sometimes it’s better to be the bigger man. If you feel you need an apology — I’m sorry that the only people softer than you are the wrestlers you like. TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES!”

Another loud “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chant spreads throughout the building. He stops and picks up a red velvet sack. He says the last time he held what was in this bag high above his head was when he owned it after earning it. Not because he had the best dog-collar match in years, which he says with a sarcastic tone to mock MJF, but because he won it. “TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES!”

Punk says until someone pins or submits him for this belt, he’s still got every right to it. He grabs the shoes he had around his neck during his entrance and says until someone can fill these, they belong on his feet. “TELL ME WHEN I’M TELLING LIES!”

He drops the mic and ends another epic pipe bomb to add to his epic catalog. Off-mic as he walks up the ramp he says, “I didn’t come here to chase stars … I AM a star.” Excellent opening promo segment from “The Best in the World,” as you’d expect.

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