Tony Schiavone Says He Was Originally Set To Introduce CM Punk On AEW Rampage

CM Punk opened AEW Rampage The First Dance on August 20, receiving one of the loudest pops in modern history.

AEW wasted no time revealing the “worst kept secret,” playing “Cult of Personality” and allowing Punk to enter the United Center on his own according.

Speaking on What Happened When, Tony Schiavone reveals the original format called for something a bit different.

“Tony [Khan] read over the format and the format had said, ‘special guest’ and Tony had referred to him as ‘special guest.’ True to form, Tony did not say CM Punk’s name at all. He contacted me later in the night said, ‘I’m thinking that I’m going to have you introduce him.’ I said, ‘I’d be honored, but we need to talk about what I’m going to say because what I’m going to say should be minimal.’ Got to the building, my name is on the format; ‘Tony Schiavone introduces special guest.’ CM Punk arrived, I was told he was in his room. The room was marked ‘Special Guest.’ He arrives, has a couple of people with him. I sat there and talked with him for a little bit. Tony Khan came in and we all sat and talked. It was decided, and I think rightfully so, even though I wanted to be a part of this, it was rightfully so that he would come out on his own,” said Schiavone.

Schiavone continued, discussing his conversation with Punk and how Punk wanted him to interview him on Dynamite.

“He said, ‘I want you to interview me. We’ll do it on Dynamite. I want you to hold the microphone, I don’t want to jerk it out of your hands like people have done.’ During Rampage, I’m one of three people in the back set at the Go position. There’s Tony Khan, the coach in the middle, me on the right. He stayed in the back, talked to everybody, and was very nice, as you might imagine,” he said. “I talked to him about his promo and he said, ‘I really don’t know. I’ve been thinking about so many things to say and I don’t know what I’m going to say.’ We just did know that the one thing he was going to touch on was Darby, to set up the pay-per-view match. From then on, we had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to say it. To be honest, if he did, he didn’t lead us on. It really looked like he was really thinking about it hard and it had weighed on him for some time. He had been gone for seven years, he’s such a star and a great talker and a great worker. You’re back in Chicago and you sell out, YOU, sell out the building just on a rumor. That’s star power, buddy.”

The interview segment between Punk and Schiavone is set to take place on the August 25 episode of AEW Dynamite, which will mark Punk’s Dynamite debut.

Schiavone also mentioned that Punk’s segment was a sell out at the Go position and that Britt Baker was thrilled when Punk mentioned her name to open his promo.

Fightful Select has more behind the scenes details on Punk’s debut in AEW.

Fightful will have live coverage of AEW Dynamite beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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