CM Punk & MJF’s latest mic battle featured more WWE jabs

We inched closer to an actual match between Maxwell Jacob Friedman and CM Punk on the Jan. 5 episode of Dynamite.

Punk’s strategy to get one involved attacking MJF’s scheduled opponent Shawn Dean, earning Dean a disqualification victory and moving Friedman farther away from a World title shot due by making his 2022 record 0-1.

Then it was back to the microphones, which is where this feud has mostly been built. A theme throughout has been references to Punk’s WWE past and Max’s WWE aspirations, and this was no exception. It can be a tired trope, but I’m personally okay with it when they fit the story and well-delivered, and both of these were.

Friedman called back to Punk being upset he compared himself to Roddy Piper, and asked if it was because he thought he was the Rowdy One. That was set-up to a dig at the Best in the World’s grudge about never main eventing a WrestleMania.

Punk laughed it off, but he may have just been readying his response. MJF’s latest tease of jumping to WWE included claiming he would go on last at a ‘Mania. The retort not only pointed out the problem with that thinking, it summed up a lot of people’s issues with AEW’s bigger rival.

“If you think the grass is so greener on the other side, be my guest. Go ahead, leave. Main event night four of a buy-one get-one-free extravaganza, and then get released faster than you last in the sack. When you come back, I’ll still be here, and that ass kicking will be waiting for you.”

Max predictably offered up Wardlow for next week’s Dynamite, likely furthering the split between MJF and his hired help. Will there be WWE shots in a promo duel before or after that one?

Get complete results and coverage of everything that happened on Dynamite‘s TBS debut here.