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CM Punk has not been seen on AEW weekly programming since his rant at the media scrum after the All Out pay-per-view.
During the media scrum, Punk went off on Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and the Elite. He also accused The Young Bucks of leaking backstage info to the media. Punk is also called the Elite irresponsible EVPs.
This angered Omega and the Bucks, and they went on to confront Punk backstage. The confrontation turned into a brawl in no time. As a result, Tony Khan suspended everyone involved in the altercation. He also stripped the Elite and Punk off of their titles.
Now, reports of CM Punk never returning to AEW are making the rounds, claiming that Khan could buy out his contract. If true, we might never see Punk in AEW again.
Many of the dream matches involving Punk are yet to happen in AEW. If the reports are true, then all those matches will never happen. Here, we will talk about five such dream matches for CM Punk in AEW that may never happen:
#5. Sting
The Icon might be one of the oldest active wrestlers, but he is still going strong to this day. The WWE Hall of Famer was one of the biggest stars of the 80s and 90s era of wrestling. He has wrestled in a wide range of promotions, including WCW, IMPACT Wrestling, WWE, and now AEW.
The WCW legend was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. Sting surprisingly made his debut in AEW in late 2020 and allied himself with youngster Darby Allin. The Icon has been putting on great matches since.
One such great match could've been him vs. CM Punk, which might never happen now. The two legends have heaped praise on each other on numerous occasions. They have also tagged along in a match and have said they would love to work with each other again.
The 63-year-old has recently been absent from weekly programming. During his recent promo, Darby Allin said that he had asked his mentor to leave him alone for a while so that he could make it on his own.
#4. Jeff Hardy
The Charismatic Enigma joined AEW earlier this year after he was released by WWE in December last year. As soon as he debuted for All Elite Wrestling, fans started talking about potential dream matches.
One of the most talked about matches was him vs. CM Punk. Everyone was excited to see the two of them cross paths. It wouldn't be the first time, as they have gone against each other several times in the past in WWE. Fans, however, were excited to see them face off in an AEW-style match, where there are no restrictions.
Hardy has previously talked about reigniting his feud with Punk and working with him again. Both wrestlers have immense respect for each other. A match between them could be an all-time classic. But by the looks of it, this dream match will always remain just a dream.
#3. Kenny Omega
Let's be honest, this is one of the biggest dream matches that can happen in wrestling today. After Punk left WWE in 2014, Omega rose and took the opportunity to be called the Best in the World and succeeded. Almost every match he's in is an instant classic.
Kenny Omega is often referred to as the best wrestler of his generation, much like Punk. When The Straight Edge Superstar debuted for AEW last year, fans quickly started discussing a dream match involving him and Omega. It's no surprise as they are two of the best ever to step foot inside the squared circle.
The former WWE Superstar has shown interest in facing off against Omega ever since he made his All Elite Wrestling debut last August. Wrestling fans thought that they were getting closer to the dream match. It seems impossible now with recent reports of Punk leaving AEW after the All Out "Brawl Out" incident between him and The Elite.
#2. Malakai Black
The Anti-Hero is one of the most popular acts on All Elite television. Malakai is a very gifted performer and a great wrestler. Black joined AEW in July last year after WWE released him as part of budget cuts. Since then, he has been putting on great matches.
Black's fabulous character work and Punk's mic skills would have resulted in a great story for a big showdown. Both the stars respect and admire each other a lot. The former NXT Champion has also previously revealed that he wants to work with CM Punk one day.
Punk and Black are two of the best strikers in pro wrestling today. Considering their wrestling style, it feels like a match made in heaven. It could be another match that we might never witness.
#1. Bryan Danielson vs. CM Punk
Bryan Danielson is one of the best technical wrestlers to ever walk on planet Earth. Nobody can deny his abilities as a wrestler. Bryan leaves his mark wherever he goes. Be it ROH, WWE, or AEW. He is considered someone who can even put on a five-star match, even with a broomstick.
The World is also aware of the kind of wrestler CM Punk is, and every wrestling fan would want a match between the two legends. They have met in the ring numerous times before across different promotions, but it's never too much when it comes to them.
The two have constantly showered praise on each other while also expressing their desire to have a match in the All Elite ring. CM Punk has also always teased going against Danielson. However, with how things are going, we might be deprived of this dream match.
