AEW Rampage results as CM Punk returns to wrestling after seven years: Recap, highlights

Punk made his return to wrestling to kick off Rampage on Friday night

One of the biggest stories in wrestling for months has been the rumors that CM Punk had reached a deal with All Elite Wrestling. Of course, rumors of Punk returning to wrestling have been constant since his last match for WWE in 2014. But the time finally came on Friday night when Punk officially debuted for AEW at the top of the Rampage broadcast.

Punk's "Cult of Personality" music hit at the top of the show as the crowd erupted. Punk leaped into the crowd on his way to the ring after taking several breaks to soak in the moment in front of his hometown crowd.

Punk told the crowd that the most important thing he could say on the night is that if his personal decisions in life or his career made people felt let down, he understands. However, Punk said, he was never going to get healthy if he stayed in the same place where he "got sick in the first place."

Punk's debut ended when he said there are plenty of old scores to settle in the locker room and more new faces he wants to get his hands on in the ring, leading to him calling Darby Allin's name. Allin was in the rafters with Sting where he watched as Punk officially laid out the challenge for a match at the All Out pay-per-view on Sept. 5.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from United Center in Chicago. Read on for highlights and results in the live blog below.

AEW Rampage results

• Jon Moxley def. Daniel Garcia via submission. Sting, Darby Allin and Eddie Kingston helped fight off 2.0 after the match.
• Jade Cargill def. Kiera Hogan via pinfall
  
• Jurassic Express def. Private Party via pinfall to advance to the finals of the Tag Title Eliminator Tournament

[Aug 20, 2021 at 11:00 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Jon Moxley def. Daniel Garcia via submission, locking in the bulldog choke to score the win. After the match, 2.0 helped Garcia to attack Moxley. Eddie Kingston tried to make the save before the numbers game caught up. Darby Allin and Sting made their way to the ring, helping Moxley and Kingston finish off 2.0 to close the show.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:45 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Jade Cargill def. Kiera Hogan via pinfall. A very quick match with Cargill running through Hogan in short order.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:39 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Jurassic Express def. Private Party via pinfall to advance in the Tag Team Eliminator Tournament, advancing to the finals. The tournament's winning team will face The Young Bucks in a steel cage match for the AEW tag team championship.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:24 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

CM Punk merchandise is already causing quite a stir with crazy lines building up at the United Center.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:17 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

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[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:17 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Punk says he left professional wrestling the day he left Ring of Honor to go to WWE but has returned to it tonight. Punk says there's a lot of people he wants to wrestle and some old scores to settle before calling Darby Allin's name and says that Allin is the first on the list and that there's nothing more dangerous that Allin could do than wrestle CM Punk -- except for wrestling Allin in Chicago, which will happen at the All Out pay-per-view.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:10 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

Punk tells the crowd that he's heard the chants for his return for seven years and now he has the time on Wednesdays, Fridays and on PPV nights to deliver his message and he doesn't plan on going anywhere.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 10:02 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

It is official! CM Punk has arrived in AEW, opening Rampage with his "Cult of Personality" theme as the crowd errupts.

[Aug 20, 2021 at 9:46 pm ET · Brent Brookhouse]

We're now just 15 minutes from AEW Rampage and what may be the biggest moment in the promotion's young history. And the crowd is ready.