CM Punk edged ahead of Cody Rhodes on the July 8 episode of AEW Collision. The Second City Saint proved the virtue of perseverance as he ended a 19-year-old wait to complete his story. Rhodes, who left the AEW in 2022 to move to the WWE, failed to complete his story after a defeat against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. The top belt has eluded his family- WWE legends Dusty Rhodes and Goldust- and the 38-year-old wanted to be the first one to accomplish it.

On the other hand, even after the glory, fans weren’t pleased with the 44-year-old wrestler. But before we delve into what the fans had to say about Punk, let’s find out the story he completed. Have you guessed it already? Well, read on to check if you’ve hit the bull’s eye!

CM Punk gets choked out after an important milestone

CM Punk has been a part of some epic matches in wrestling history. While his rivalries with John Cena and Daniel Bryan are well documented and talked about, perhaps one of Punk’s greatest rivals is Samoa Joe. The two are long-time frenemies, dating back to their time in the independent circuit.

The duo main evented the inaugural episode of Collision in June as part of a three-man tag team match and locked horns in a singles encounter during the latest episode.

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Punk and Joe faced each other in the semifinals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. After going at each other for 15 and a half minutes, CM Punk was able to pick up a win. This also ended his 19-year-long wait as it was his first win in a singles match against the Samoan wrestler.

Joe and Punk have been a part of several matches, dating back to August 2003, where they fought in the Ring of Honor promotion. After seeing his streak broken, a furious Samoa Joe extended his hand and, as soon as Punk responded, he choked the winner.

While this win allowed the 44-year-old to advance to the finals of the said tournament and face Ricky Starks, who secured a victory over Powerhouse Hobbs earlier in the episode, it left fans angry.

Fans go ballistic as CM Punk goes through

The Straight Edge Messiah has been one of the most divisive figures in pro wrestling for some time now. While he has always been vocal about issues, Punk took it to a new level during the AEW All Out media scrum in 2022. After he name-dropped several of his peers, the wrestler got involved in an ugly backstage brawl. It resulted in the suspension of many talents, including Punk and Kenny Omega.

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This left a bitter taste in the fans’ mouths. While CM punk received a raucous welcome in his home city of Chicago, where Collision took off, the reception has been largely negative thereafter. During AEW and NJPW’s Forbidden Door PPV in Canada, Punk was booed during his entire match.

Now, it seems like the AEW faithful hasn’t let go of their feelings.

These fans think that Samoa Joe should have been the champion.

“Booo. Should’ve let Samoa Joe get the win to continue that history,” one said.

Another stated: “Would’ve been better if they kept Joe’s streak going”

A third comment stated: “Cm Punk winning is predictable. The Streak for Joe should’ve continue.”

People also chastised AEW for the booking choice.

“Seriously…. Joe lost? You should be better than this AEW,” a user wrote.

A different user wrote: “Still rewarding Punk with Ws smh, Tony does know that he can take Ls rt 🤦🏻‍♂️”

This user thought it was Punk who booked his own victory.

“Of course this Hart family knob gobblin booked himself to win it all,” the comment reads.

While fans will always take sides, the match results also renewed the Punk-Joe rivalry, especially the way it ended with Joe choking Punk. For nearly 20 years, the Samoan Submission Machine had bragging rights. But with Saturday’s win, the field is a lot even now.

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So, do you agree with the fans’ sentiments? Let us know in the comments below.