But this wasn’t the time nor the place for that guy to fully show up. Not yet. This is the time to preach patience and let him find his initial direction. Once he starts getting into feuds, rivalries, programs, and angles, his track record should provide you with enough confidence that we’ll get the Punk many have gravitated toward over the years. It’s only a matter of time.

Happy Punk may be good for the man’s personal life, but it makes him far from compelling as a wrestling persona. He wasn’t all that interesting in the beginning stages of his AEW run when he was radiating positivity, and that doesn’t change now just because the address of his employer did. But one needs not look very far for a hint of the vintage Punk we had hoped to see last night.

Just before “Raw” went off the air, Punk put his mic down and spoke directly into the camera, stating, “I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to make money.” That’s the ticket. Punk’s first WWE promo was not the home run people wished it would be. It’s hardly in the upper echelon of his best segments. But the sky is not falling, and this is not a failed experiment because of it. So pack away the hyperbole and give things time to settle. This is not the end of the world for the “Best in the World.” It’s just the beginning.