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CM Punk is arguably the biggest star that AEW has at its disposal right now. It's been a year since the Straight-Edge Superstar made his epic return to pro-wrestling, and he has wasted no time in reminding fans why he earned the moniker of 'Best In The World'.
From an excellent return match against Darby Allin at last year's All Out pay-per-view to electric feuds with the likes of Eddie Kingston and MJF, the Second City Saint has proven that he is still a box office draw. It was such a shame that he would then suffer a foot injury soon after winning the AEW World Championship, dashing away hopes of another 'Summer of Punk'.
In his absence, AEW's programming has felt a bit lackluster for quite some time, even with Jon Moxley as interim champion. While Moxley is a popular wrestler in his own right, he doesn't quite have the same star power as the Chicago native.
When Punk finally made his return to Dynamite, he quickly set his sights on the Purveyor of Violence with a view of unifying the AEW World Championship. Not one to mince his words, the lineal champion also took a verbal potshot at former titleholder Hangman Page in his promo, in what was reportedly an unscripted moment.
In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez speculated that there may be some heat between Punk and Adam Page. There were also reports that he may have no-shown the event or quit the company altogether.
What if the Chicago star were to walk out and leave AEW? Can Tony Khan and the company afford such a loss? Here are the 5 worst case scenarios if the unthinkable occurs.
#5. The Elite could regain more power once again in AEW
When Tony Khan first started AEW, the first major signings were The Elite, which included Kenny Omega, Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes in the roles of EVP.
They were the main eventers who headlined multiple pay-per-views during the company's infancy. It can be argued that there would be no All Elite Wrestling if The Elite didn't start their wrestling revolution back in New Japan and the independent scene, which caught the attention of the Khan family.
As the company grew and added former WWE talents such as CM Punk and Bryan Danielson to the fold, it seems like The Elite's influence has diminished somewhat, especially when it's now clear that Tony Khan is truly the main person in charge.
If CM Punk leaves, don't be surprised to see the company revert back to the status quo. Now with Kenny Omega returning to the company during last week's Dynamite, him and the Young Bucks are already frontrunners to win the inaugural Trios Championships. With Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish still on the comeback trail, the potential Elite Civil War storyline could dominate AEW programming in the near future with Punk out of the picture.
#4. Wrestlers who side with CM Punk will feel disillusioned
CM Punk remains a divisive figure in pro wrestling. While his brash and outspoken nature has attracted detractors, he also has his fair share of supporters, chief among them being the current ROH World Tag Team Champions.
Dax Harwood took to social media to send a heartfelt message to CM Punk shortly after his injury announcement that him and Cash Wheeler will hold the fort down until Punk returns from injury. He also referred to their group as CMFTR.
FTR developed quite a bond with the former WWE Superstar. They even teamed up on Dynamite once to beat Max Caster and the Gunn Club. While FTR has regularly been dubbed one of the best tag teams of this generation, they still feel underutilized in AEW despite the amazing fan support for them. They've only won the promotion's tag titles once as well.
CM Punk's possible departure could spark further disillusion for the talented duo who feel their abilities will be appreciated elsewhere.
#3. WWE wrestlers might stay away from joining AEW
It's not just the current AEW stars that could be influenced by CM Punk's departure, but it might also scare other wrestlers away from choosing to join the company. A number of WWE Superstars have been let go in the last few years and have yet to join Tony Khan's promotion for various reasons.
These free agents who would have considered AEW previously might think twice upon seeing CM Punk's treatment. For example, the likes of Sasha Banks and Naomi would have been major additions to AEW's floundering women's division.
AEW World Champion CM Punk shared his thoughts on Sasha Banks and Naomi's infamous walk-out from WWE, having done something similar 8 years ago. Speaking on Absolute Geek Podcast, he said:
"I walked out. They went on TV and called me a quitter. What's changed? What's the difference? You're going to attack these two poor women who had enough and walked. They have bigger balls than everybody there."
"What's changed? There's nothing much that has changed. There's people that talk about it and people who do it. The people who lick the boots and have the audacity to say that about those two women. F***ing cowards and bootlickers. This s**t is ridiculous." [H/T - Fightful]
It's clear that Punk is standing in solidarity with the two women's decision. And if were to see him leave AEW as well for whatever reason, it might be a red flag for them to steer clear of another company with backstage issues too.
#2. AEW loses its biggest draw
AEW World Champion CM Punk took to social media this past week to post an emotional message on the first anniversary of his debut in AEW.
On Instagram, the AEW World Champion called his debut the best moment of his professional career and thanked wrestling fans for rekindling his love for the business. In return, Punk became unquestionably the biggest star the company ever had. His segments and matches draw big ratings while his merchandise sales reflect his popularity with AEW fans.
Losing him would be a major blow to Tony Khan and the promotion's bottom line. They don't have a ready-made replacement who can fill that top spot who is as hot as the former WWE Champion. The likes of Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Chris Jericho could potentially fill that gap, but it won't be the same. AEW simply can't afford to lose their biggest cash cow.
#1. Exodus of top AEW stars to WWE
The biggest knock-on effect of CM Punk leaving AEW is a whole host of other wrestlers following suit. The likes of Miro, Malakai Black, Adam Cole and Andrade El Idolo haven't got going to the level fans know they are capable of, and perhaps they might consider WWE a more attractive proposition now that Triple H is in charge of creative.
There's also the small matter of MJF's current contract status. Two months ago, he was the biggest talking point in AEW after cutting a scorching promo on Dynamite lambasting the company. Since then, his future is unknown.
Perhaps CM Punk's departure and Cody Rhodes' success in WWE could push the rising star to join the biggest wrestling company in the world instead.
