WWE Star CM Punk Receives Gift After Return To Madison Square Garden
CM Punk's match with Dominik Mysterio during last night's WWE Live Event wasn't just Punk's first match in WWE since the 2014 Royal Rumble, it was also his first match in Madison Square Garden in over a decade. Punk hadn't laced up his boots in "the world's most famous arena" since March 18, 2012, when he teamed with Randy Orton and Triple H to defeat Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and Dolph Ziggler in trios action. As such, it's only right MSG would treat him with a special gift following his return.
Earlier Wednesday afternoon, WWE posted a video on X of Punk receiving said gift from MSG officials following his match. The gift was none other than a plaque that read "Welcome home CM Punk. First WWE match in a decade. December 26, 2023. Sold Out. Madison Square Garden." Punk expressed gratitude for the gift, as well as relief, as he initially thought it would be a key to "a secret bathroom or something."
Last night @TheGarden gifted @CMPunk something very special for his first match back! 🤩✨#WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/PjwFGwSgYh
— WWE (@WWE) December 27, 2023
The gift was the cherry on top of the night for Punk, who defeated Dominik Mysterio in his return match, despite interference from Mysterio's Judgment Day ally Rhea Ripley. Between Punk's time in WWE and AEW this year, the victory gave him his fifth victory in six singles matches, as well as his seventh win in eleven matches overall. Punk will look to keep the hot streak going this Saturday when WWE's holiday tour heads to Los Angeles, where he will once again take on Dominik. Unlike MSG, Punk has wrestled in the Los Angeles' Kia Forum in recent memory, having last competed there while working for AEW in June 2022.