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CM Punk is one of the biggest names in professional wrestling history. His impact on the industry was ground breaking. Punk brought back lapsed fans as well as created new ones with his work on top in WWE.
Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported today that the former WWE Champion is in talks for a potential return to the ring, with AEW being the likely destination. This may go down as the biggest wrestling news story of 2021 if this comes to fruition.
CM Punk last appeared in the ring at the 2014 Royal Rumble. He's had a tumultuous fallout with the company and has some less than flattering words to say about them. Although he had a brief stint on WWE Backstage, Punk hasn't appeared to be close to a return to wrestling until now.
With this news in mind, speculation will run rampant about what is possible for CM Punk in All Elite Wrestling. There are many possibilities, but dream matches with the stars of the promotion are probably the first thought on the minds of many in wrestling. In this article, let's take a look at five dream matches for CM Punk in AEW.
#5 CM Punk vs. Darby Allin
As mentioned, CM Punk has spent seven years away from professional wrestling. In that time, a lot has changed within the industry as well as stars rising to prominence. When Punk left WWE, there was no AEW around or even thought of. However, All Elite Wrestling does provide plenty of young, breakout stars for The Voice of the Voiceless to mix it up with.
At the top of many fans' lists has to be Darby Allin. The former TNT Champion has consistently been considered one of the best babyfaces in all of wrestling. He has an enigmatic persona and attracts fans of all ages. Allin has also proven to be a needle mover as far as ratings go, with his main event matches with Miro, Jungle Boy and Ethan Page on AEW Dynamite being among the best of the year so far.
In many ways, Darby Allin is reminiscent of a young Jeff Hardy in 2008. He feels like he is on the brink of the main event scene and a future world champion. CM Punk being an antagonist to Darby would be very intriguing. Arguably Punk's best work has been as a heel and Darby Allin presents the perfect foil to play off of. These two would create magic together in the ring and as characters.
#4 CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston
Many wrestling fans question whether CM Punk will be the same in-ring performer that he was in his prime as a top star in WWE. One part of Punk's appeal was always his amazing promo skills. He is truly one of the greatest to touch a microphone, with his Pipebomb promo still standing as an all-time great piece of business.
CM Punk's skills on the mic surely haven't diminished. His sit-down interview at Starrcast two years ago was a highlight of the weekend and showed that he is still an extraordinary storyteller. One of the best promo guys in the business today is Eddie Kingston. The Mad King has been a revelation since his arrival in All Elite Wrestling.
Kingston has shown that he is well-versed as a babyface or a heel with a microphone in hand. His exceptional work against Jon Moxley had their rivalry in the conversation for Feud of the Year due to their compelling promo exchanges that allowed them to be positioned as the main event of Full Gear 2020. Eddie has also shown since his babyface turn that he can rally a crowd around him.
Eddie Kingston makes an ideal opponent for CM Punk because the promo exchanges would simply be superb. They have distinct characteristics that could work together in any role. Punk is great as a heel and would make for an awesome antagonist to Kingston's everyman persona.
Kingston's in-ring style would allow Punk not to have to show too much outside of brawling. On many different levels, Eddie Kingston vs. CM Punk is the type of feud that would work well for both men and the AEW fanbase.
#3 CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley
There are plenty of fresh matchups for CM Punk in AEW, but there are quite a few performers in the company that the former WWE superstar has crossed paths with. Chris Jericho was one of Punk's fierce rivals that he has mixed it up with on a few occasions. Paul Wight, Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes have all squared off with The Straight-Edge Superstar in the past.
However, there is one competitor that has been in the squared circle with CM Punk that can present something new and that is Jon Moxley. He has wrestled Dean Ambrose during his time in the Shield in the latter stages of Punk's WWE run. However, Dean Ambrose is not Jon Moxley.
The Death Rider freed himself from the shackles of the Dean Ambrose character when he left WWE in 2019. He has shown himself to be revitalized and a new man as Jon Moxley. The former AEW World Champion has been one of the best babyfaces in the entire business, with his in-ring work and promos better than ever before.
CM Punk will be looking to leave his WWE run behind him, so it would be interesting to face a man who has done just that. When Punk left WWE and left the business seven years ago, Jon Moxley left WWE and went to AEW to continue striving in the business that he loves.
This could become a tremendous feud in the way these two men each handled their departure from WWE. Moxley has been re-energized in All Elite Wrestling and has arguably become bigger than he ever was in WWE, while Punk will just be coming back to the business seven years later.
CM Punk could argue that he gave Moxley his first big opportunity due to him being responsible for the creation of the Shield. This makes for some compelling storytelling and potential promos that would have the entire wrestling world buzzing. This feud has all the makings to be remarkable no matter how it shapes up.
#2 CM Punk vs. MJF
To finish off the trifecta of top notch promo guys in AEW to face CM Punk, there is Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known as MJF. The Pinnacle leader has made a name for himself as the fastest rising star in professional wrestling today. A lot of that has been down to his outstanding ability on the microphone.
MJF has mixed it up in the ring and on the mic with some of the top stars in AEW like Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Cody Rhodes. However, CM Punk may be on another level from those three competitors. Punk has made the statement before that a microphone in his hand is like a weapon. In a lot of ways, MJF can say the same thing.
These two would be money in a promo exchange and have a real-life history with one another. MJF is not only a student of the game, but he is also a genuine wrestling fan. He grew up watching the business and frequented many fan signings for different performers including CM Punk as seen below.
MJF has eviscerated many on the microphone and seems like he is head and shoulders above many as a promo. His in-ring work has also been showcased on several different occasions. His matches with Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara stand up as impressive outings that show that he is not just a talker. Something that CM Punk also had to show in the early stages of his career.
CM Punk could bring out a different side to MJF and awaken even more levels of greatness that has been untapped for the self-proclaimed Face of AEW. Punk has shown that he can be just as effective as a babyface as he is as a heel. MJF would make the perfect foil for the anti-hero that fans have grown to love in Punk.
#1 CM Punk vs. Kenny Omega
The first name that comes to mind when fans think of CM Punk in All Elite Wrestling has to be the current AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. The Cleaner has reigned as the top star in the promotion ever since the December 2nd AEW Dynamite special, Winter Is Coming. He didn't stop there with his dominance over the wrestling world.
Kenny Omega would venture over to IMPACT Wrestling and defeat Rich Swann to win the IMPACT World Championship at Rebellion 2021. He now holds the AEW, IMPACT and AAA Mega Championships. Omega has firmly established himself as The Belt Collector with a run that has been unrivaled in the business for quite some time.
Another moniker that has been bestowed upon Kenny Omega has been The Best In The World, which should draw the ire of CM Punk. For years, that is what Punk was known for from his time on the independent scene all the way to the top of WWE. This title and honor would be the catalyst for a dream match for the ages that has been talked about by both men.
In many interviews over the years, CM Punk has named Kenny Omega as a dream opponent. Omega's stellar run in NJPW was the stuff of legend and made him a bonafide superstar in the industry. His success, alongside The Young Bucks, led to the creation of All Elite Wrestling. Cody Rhodes and the three men helped put together the All In event, which was a launching point for AEW.
AEW has been known for being an alternative and a competitor to WWE since its inception. Many fans believe the essence of the promotion is that of "anti-authority," which is something that has defined CM Punk throughout his career. That anti-authority nature made CM Punk one of the most popular stars in wrestling.
There are so many elements in play that make CM Punk vs Kenny Omega an all-time classic in the making. The battle of "Best In The World" and who is truly responsible for AEW's existence are just the tip of the iceberg in a lot of ways. There are so many avenues to explore with these two men that make this the money matchup.
CM Punk in AEW has fans excited in a way that hasn't been seen too many times in the business. It seems like the perfect marriage of sorts. There are plenty of dream matches not mentioned here that would make fans become regular viewers of the product. However, there is none as huge as CM Punk vs. Kenny Omega and that is why it is the best dream match for Punk in All Elite Wrestling.
