CM Punk's return to professional wrestling in 2021 set the wrestling world ablaze and launched AEW from an alternative wrestling promotion to a bonafide threat in the wrestling space. Tempting CM Punk back to wrestling was on the cards since his departure from WWE in 2014 and AEW, and Tony Khan, finally got Punk to put pen to paper after 7 and-a-half years. While everything started red-hot and continued that way for several months, things went wildly off the rails coming up to the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in 2022. In the months that followed there were injuries, interim champions, and wrecked long-term plans. Returning post-injury and defeating Jon Moxley at the All Out pay-per-view in 2022, CM Punk participated in a post-event media scrum where he vehemently criticised Colt Cabana, Kenny Omega, Matt & Nick Jackson, and Hangman Adam Page. This led to a brawl between Omega, the Jacksons and Punk. All parties were suspended, and CM Punk was out injured months beyond his suspension.