CM Punk
Inside the Psychology of AEW’s Hard-Hitting Music Licensing
What people don’t tell you about pro wrestling is oftentimes, the worst-kept secrets are the most satisfying. On August 20, 2021, after All Elite Wrestling (AEW) spent weeks strongly teasing and coyly shrugging about the impending arrival of a beloved, long-retired pro wrestling icon, a familiar sound rang through Chicago’s United Center. A tangled guitar riff unfurled, provoking an ovation only heard a few times in the century-long history of the sport. By the time Living Colour’s 1988 hit “Cult of Personality” hit full steam, the response from the crowd was already deafening. When Chicago native CM Punk walked from the tunnel to the arena’s main room, the roar escalated several octaves and sustained itself for a number of minutes. People from all over the world jumped up and down in the ...
