CM Punk is headed to GCW, probably not PWG

While he’s said since his return last August that AEW will be his first focus, that hasn’t stopped fans from hoping CM Punk will step through The Forbidden Door for some dates on the independents.

It’s not a match, but Punk and Game Changer Wrestling did announce that he’s doing something for GCW’s big weekend in New York City at the end of this month. Punk will induct his old manager and fellow Chicagoan Dave Prazak into The Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sat., Jan. 22. The Shimmer founder is among the inaugural class for wrestling’s newest club, and will be honored along with LuFisto, Jerry Lynn, Homicide, Ruckus, and Tracy Smothers at The Cutting Room next weekend. The ceremony will stream live and free on GCW’s YouTube channel at 7pm Eastern.

Many fans are pulling for Punk to return to Southern California’s preeminent indie, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. He worked several dates there in the early-to-mid aughts, and when “Philip Five Skulls” was announced for PWG’s 2022 Battle of Los Angeles, some folks got excited the inside joke could be a way to sneak another Phil into the tournament. Alas...

PWG did announce that Speedball Mike Bailey, who just made his Impact debut last Saturday at Hard To Kill after years of not being able to work in the U.S. due to a visa issue, will round out the BOLA field instead of Punk, or whoever Mr. Five Skulls really was. The also revealed the card for night one of the show, Sat., Jan. 29 at The Globe Theater in Los Angeles.

- Bandido vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
- JONAH vs. Buddy Matthews
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Davey Richards
- JD Drake vs. Black Taurus
- Lee Moriarty vs. Alex Shelley
- Jack Cartwheel vs. Lio Rush
- Kevin Blackwood vs. Daniel Garcia
- Aramis vs. Rey Horus

Both nights of BOLA have already sold out.

Excited to see Punk working with GCW? Pumped for a Battle of Los Angeles that’s Forbidden Door-heavy even without him?