Tony Khan Compares CM Punk's WWE Peak To His AEW Run

By Robert Gunier

Current AEW World Champion CM Punk reached monumental heights of popularity in WWE during his unforgettable storyline with John Cena and Vince McMahon leading up to 2011's Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The angle going into the match was Punk's contract was expiring the same day as his WWE Championship match against Cena at MITB. If he won, Punk vowed to leave the company with the title and only return when he saw fit. "The Best in the World" did just that, defeating Cena, blowing a kiss to a stunned Vince McMahon, and heading out of the arena through the audience to end the show.

Punk would go on to hold the WWE Championship for 434 days, an impressive record that holds up to some of the greatest title reigns in history. As the anniversary of MITB 2011 arrives, we also tread closer to the one-year anniversary of Punk in AEW this August, so how do the two runs compare to each other? If you were to ask AEW Founder and CEO Tony Khan, he has a list of matches proving why Punk is still "The Best In The World" after all this time.

Punk underwent successful lower leg surgery at the beginning of June for an unspecified injury to the area. Announcers on AEW television revealed the news of the procedure but gave no timeframe on his return to competition.

During his emotional address to fans on "Rampage," Punk explained that "a couple of things" were broken on his body, with his heart being the biggest one. Even still, he wouldn't specify the exact nature of his injury. Subsequently, Tony Khan discussed Punk on Busted Open Radio where he stated that the AEW Champion was being treated by "one of the top doctors in the entire world and someone really renowned in sports medicine". The surgery Punk received was the "only option" to ensure the injury heals properly, according to recent reports.

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