CM Punk Gives Insight Into Why He Called Out Adam Page On AEW Dynamite

A recent episode of "AEW Dynamite" saw CM Punk call out "Hangman" Adam Page while the former World Heavyweight Champion wasn't present. Subsequent reports claimed that Punk went into business for himself, while AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that there's some backstage tension between Punk and Page. Punk has since addressed the promo, claiming that it was spontaneous. 

"I don't write stuff [down ahead of time]; I just talk," Punk told "Sports Illustrated." "That's one of the biggest things that's missing from pro wrestling. It's letting people go out there and talk if they know what they're doing. It can be magic." Punk added that his main focus as a member of the AEW roster is to "make people want to see what happens next," regardless of how they get there. "I'm trying to sell tickets to the live events."

For a polarizing figure like Punk, social media can be a battlefield for his fans, haters, and those who are indifferent. "Twitter is a bunch of people that don't really care about your opinion," he added. "They want to find like-minded opinions that share their worldview. I'm trying to tell stories, sell tickets, and get people to tune in on Dynamite." 

Still, regardless of what the critics on social media might say, Punk has his focus set on the statistics behind his comeback to pro wrestling. He feels there is a "baseline to build off" following a successful first year in AEW. "It makes the second year all that more exciting. Seeing all the business metrics tick upward, that's why I was brought here."