"I got some old scores to settle" - 5 AEW stars CM Punk has a history with

#4. Cody Rhodes - AEW

Check out this match: CM Punk and Jamaican Kofi Kingston vs Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiasie Jr for the Tag Team Titles (with Afa’s son Manu at ringside) #SDLive #SmackDown #RAW #AEW pic.twitter.com/86PQzC8o8C

— Glenn JayCubs 🇮🇪🇭🇺🇵🇭 (@Every1SayIMBoss) October 19, 2019

As revealed during the post-show scrum for AEW Rampage - The First Dance, CM Punk has been in talks with Tony Khan for almost two years about coming into the promotion. Cody Rhodes has been asked in the past about CM Punk and the two men have had different responses to this. This led to many fans believing that there might be conflicting opinions between the former WWE superstars.

During the early portion of their time in WWE, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have mixed it up. Dating even back to their time in developmental for OVW, the two men had been on the opposite side of the squared circle from each other. On the main roster, CM Punk teamed with Kofi Kingston to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase to win his first WWE Tag Team Championships.

Has #MalakaiBlack retired @CodyRhodes??? pic.twitter.com/FKH2Vqr8uC

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 5, 2021

Cody Rhodes isn't the same man that CM Punk faced in WWE though. Since leaving the company, Cody has been one of the hottest professional wrestlers in the world. He has fought against the best in the world and won championships on the independent scene and NJPW. At AEW, Rhodes was the first TNT Champion and a top star for the promotion.

Punk and Rhodes have never had a major encounter on pay-per-view or television during their time in WWE. This gives AEW the opportunity to present them at the height of their popularity and produce a memorable battle between the two megastars in the industry.