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5 Things We Want To See From CM Punk’s Return To AEW (& 5 Things We Don’t)
Lighting the wrestling world ablaze over the past few months, CM Punk is once again the talk of the town as fans are anxiously awaiting his return to AEW TV in the coming weeks. With rumors of a potential brand/roster split for All Elite Wrestling, Punk’s return following his meltdown at All Out is going to be a huge story for the company, for better or for worse.
Regardless of how fans feel about CM Punk, with him remaining one of the most polarizing faces in the business, his starpower is undeniable. Looking ahead to the rest of 2023 and beyond, there are a number of things AEW fans may want from CM Punk’s return to the fold, and a number of things they’d like to avoid.
10 Don’t Want: A Lengthy Feud With Chris Jericho
Following an Instagram Story where Punk called out Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Dave Meltzer, reports came out that Jericho would be attending a meeting with Tony Khan, CM Punk, & FTR to discuss Punk’s return. This had led much speculation to the idea that Punk’s first feud back in the company will be against Jericho. On paper, this should be a great feud, filled with great promos and strong wrestling. The only thing that this program needs to avoid, is turning into one of the overly-long feuds that Jericho has had of late, notably with Eddie Kingston, The Blackpool Combat Club, and Ricky Starks. Let this last for a few months, at most, and then move onto new territory for both men.
9 Want: Teaming With FTR
Since Double or Nothing 2022, fans have wanted to see CM Punk & FTR work together as an on-screen unit. Fans would be treated to the team once, during AEW’s debut in Los Angeles, where Punk would suffer an injury that caused him to disappear from TV for some time. With Punk on the road to his return, and AEW now having Trios Championships, it seems like a guarantee that fans can expect to see Punk & FTR team up as an official Trios team in All Elite Wrestling.
While many fans will want a feud with The Elite, there are a number of other potential match-ups for Punk & FTR to take on that are just as fun, including the current AEW World Trios Champions, The House of Black.
One of the worst aspects of pro wrestling that has risen to prominence again over the past year, has been worked shoot angles and promos. Plaguing both WWE and AEW, there have been a number of cases of wrestlers pretending to be upset or attempting to be edgy in order to get attention. Last year also saw CM Punk and Hangman Page both cut promos that were not cleared with one another, leading to massive drama that would spiral into the All Out Meltdown from Punk later in 2022. When Punk returns, fans can only hope that we avoid any worked shoot angles, or in a worst case scenario, avoid Punk going off-script completely leading to more drama.
7 Want: Facing Off Against NJPW’s KENTA
For years, CM Punk and KENTA have had an online feud about the usage of the Go To Sleep finisher. With AEW & NJPW working together regularly, it feels as if it only a matter of time before the two men finally face off in the ring. Over the past few years, KENTA has played up the idea of the match online, and Punk even attended a New Japan event earlier this year, where KENTA taunted the crowd and finished the bout with the GTS.
There are a number of big-time cross-promotional matches that fans could argue about for CM Punk against the stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but in terms of a built-in story, nobody is a better choice than KENTA.
6 Don’t Want: An AEW World Championship Win
This should go without saying at this point, but one of the most important calls Tony Khan can make for the future of AEW and CM Punk in the promotion, is to not put the World Championship back on him. While the moment felt great at Double or Nothing 2022, the win ultimately cut off all momentum for Hangman Page, before Punk would get injured and be forced to exit TV for a few months.
Upon his return, Punk would eventually get injured a second time, before having an incredibly public meltdown in the post-show press conference. With the unpredictability of Punk’s health, having suffered back-to-back injuries in short time, as well as him going off-script, it is best to keep him away from the AEW World Championship again.
5 Want: His Dream Match Against Hiroshi Tanahashi
Following Double or Nothing 2022, a shocking moment would take place on AEW Dynamite in Los Angeles, as fans would get their first match announcement for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, with The Ace of New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi making his AEW Dynamite debut to call out CM Punk. The AEW World Championship would have likely been on the line, although the match would never take place, as Punk would suffer an injury during that same show.
All signs pointed to Punk vs Tanahashi, though Tony Khan stated the plan was actually for Will Ospreay & Aussie Open vs CM Punk & FTR, so things remain unclear somewhat. Still, with the singles match teased between Punk & Tanahashi, AEW and NJPW should absolutely deliver this dream match for fans when CM Punk makes his in-ring return.
4 Don’t Want: Another Unfortunate Injury
As mentioned before, CM Punk suffered two back-to-back injuries during his 2022 in AEW. The first would occur following a stage dive into the crowd, where he would break his foot. This would lead to Punk’s reign as AEW World Champion being cut short, as the company would crown Jon Moxley as the interim champion. Punk would return later in the Summer, being squashed by Mox in the unification match.
At All Out, CM Punk would defeat Jon Moxley to regain the AEW World Championship, though he would again suffer an injury, this time a more serious one that would keep him out of action indefinitely, only hurt more by the public meltdown during the post-show scrum. For Punk’s return, fans can only hope that there are no more unfortunate injuries for CM Punk, as many want his second run in AEW to go off without a hitch.
3 Want: Another Match Against MJF
Without a doubt the best part about CM Punk’s run in AEW is the feud between he and MJF. While his program with Eddie Kingston delivered in spades, the feud with MJF was one of, if not the best feud of 2022 in wrestling. The two worked wonders together, delivering a captivating story with great twists and an amazing payoff in the form of the bloody Dog Collar Match at Revolution.
With Punk back in the fold in AEW, and with how All Out ended as MJF made his return to the company, stealing the spotlight from his former rival, the two should be destined to clash once more. Whether it is for the AEW World Championship or not, the ending has to be MJF defeating Punk once and for good, putting his demon to rest.
2 Don’t Want: Another Public Meltdown
The moment that changed AEW forever, CM Punk’s post-show meltdown during the AEW All Out Media Scrum would lead to Punk calling out Hangman Page, Colt Cabana, and The Elite, which would then lead to a backstage brawl that saw Punk & The Elite suspended and stripped of their titles. It remains the darkest stain on AEW’s brief history, and a moment that fans still look back on negatively.
For critics of Punk, it is the sticking point as to why he should not return to AEW, while Punk defenders point to the scrum as Punk shedding light on backstage issues that needed to be handled. Whatever the case, Punk made himself, The Elite, Hangman Page, Tony Khan, and AEW all look terrible in a short span of time, something that needs to be avoided at all costs with Punk’s return.
1 Want: A Feud With The Elite
Ideally, this is the money feud behind a CM Punk return. Following the All Out press conference, the most naive fans began speculating that the entire thing was a work, which it certainly was not. Still, the idea of a feud between CM Punk & FTR against The Elite following the chaotic events of All Out stood out to a lot of people as being a truly game-changing feud for AEW.
While it seems that neither side is ready to work together in AEW, the possibility remains there should all six men remain with the company. FTR have recently signed new contracts with AEW, stating they plan on retiring when they finish in the company, Punk is now set to return this summer, and The Elite are reportedly negotiating new deals. If The Elite & CMFTR can come together, AEW could have their biggest feud to date lined up.
