The AEW Cameo On Mayans M.C. That Had Wrestling Fans Buzzing

FX's "Mayans M.C." is currently cruising along in its fourth season, with its latest episode — "A Crow Flew By" — airing on Tuesday, May 3. The "Sons of Anarchy" spin-off has been going strong since 2018 and numerous cameos have been featured over the years, mostly involving characters from its parent show. But in "A Crow Flew By," there's a completely new character and famous face who winds up making a surprise appearance, hailing from the world of professional wrestling. 

"Mayans M.C." viewers have been watching the ongoing beef between the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle clubs ramp up this season, with it all stemming from the death of a Son way back in Season 2 (via PopCulture). As more and more things continue to unfold, the series has started to explore some of the characters' relationships with people who run with either the Mayans or the Sons, as well as those who are simply acquaintances. In Episode 4, we get to meet an old military pal of Gilberto "Gilly" Lopez (Vincent Vargas), played by the previously mentioned wrestling star, who is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (aka AEW).

Fans who tuned in to the "Mayans M.C." episode have been raving about the wrestler's surprise appearance on social media, with many saying they were blown away by his performance. 

It's a cameo that "Mayans M.C." fans can't stop talking about, and one that was apparently in the works for years. "CM Punk on Mayans! YO WHAT THE HOLY F**K?!" wrote Twitter user @BWDBlackWrestl1 after seeing Punk show up in Episode 4. "CM Punk in Mayans was the surprise I needed," tweeted another fan named @Jam_Pacman13. "Heels now Mayans my dude is working hard," added @MarioMedDiaz, in reference to Punk's other big TV role on the Starz wrestling show "Heels."

According to showrunner Elgin James, Punk's appearance in "Mayans M.C." ultimately stemmed from a meeting that they had several years ago. "We're both on the straight edge world," James told Gamespot in a recent interview. "We met a few years ago and I was just like, 'Yo, I gotta do something with this dude.'" That something turned out to be a small, recurring role in Season 4 of "Mayans M.C." as an Army veteran named Paul, who is friends with Vincent "Rocco" Vargas' character Gilly. Rocco reportedly used his actual experiences as a real-life Army vet to help guide Punk through his performance. "Rocco talked to him for about an hour,'" James said to Gamespot. "Of course... [Punk] just brought it, not only physically but also emotionally," he added.

People who watched the fourth episode of "Mayans" couldn't agree more. "I've seen him act a bit in Heels but man....he impressed the hell out of me last night," tweeted @valenicole. "I want more of him on here. He was so good."