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CM Punk made his return to the wrestling ring at The First Dance event on AEW Rampage to thunderous applause. Fans were thrilled to see the former WWE Champion join AEW and get back to wrestling.
After the dust settled, many fans began to point out once again that most of AEW’s top performers are wrestlers who have already competed in rival companies. However, there are still many top AEW stars who have never faced CM Punk one-on-one.
There are also several former and current AEW Champions who have never been in the same ring as CM Punk. This shows that there are many new challengers for The Best in the World to take on in his new journey as an AEW star.
Keeping that in mind, take a look at the six current and former AEW champions who have never faced CM Punk one-on-one.
#6. Former AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin has never faced CM Punk
CM Punk debuted at AEW Rampage and immediately left a mark on the company. Punk was ready to get back to the ring again and decided to handpick a man who he has never faced before.
Darby Allin, the former AEW TNT Champion, is just 28-years-old. Yet many think of him as one of the greatest performers of all time. Punk decided to roll the dice and pick Darby Allin to be his first opponent in AEW.
AEW President Tony Khan was a guest on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Khan opened up about CM Punk's in-ring return at the All Out pay-per-view and why Allin was chosen as his first opponent.
"We started to talk and then we had to come up with wrestling ideas. He had that great list he put out of people he thought would be great opponents for him and of course, a very prominent name on that list was Darby Allin and Darby Allin in the past year has gotten as hot as any wrestler we have and I just thought it would be really cool and it made a lot of sense and I suggested it and he thought it was great," said Tony Khan.
CM Punk will face Darby Allin for the first time in his career at All Out. The two men have never faced each other before, and it’s great to see that the veteran is ready to take on some new faces.
#5. Former AEW World Tag Team Champion "Hangman" Adam Page has never faced CM Punk
CM Punk has faced some of the biggest wrestlers performing in AEW today. Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley have shared the ring with The Best in the World multiple times.
However, former AEW World Tag Team Champion "Hangman" Adam Page is one man who has never stepped into the ring to face CM Punk in his career. Page is not new to wrestling and has performed on a few of the same promotions on which CM Punk performed.
During a Sportskeeda Wrestling Exclusive, Ricardo Rodriguez also shared his thoughts regarding a possible match between CM Punk and Adam Page.
“I would love to see Adam Page against CM Punk. I personally believe that Adam Page is going to be the big star in AEW if it's done right. And somebody like Punk or even Daniel Bryan, if he does go, could really help elevate somebody like Adam Page. There is a lot of talent there that could benefit and would do really well if Punk goes,” stated Ricardo Rodriguez.
Page has already gotten a good rub in AEW after signing with the company. CM Punk is one man who can help elevate the talented wrestler’s career and give him a massive push. The two men’s wrestling styles compliment each other, and that could end up giving fans a rivalry to remember.
#3&4. AEW World Tag Team Champions Matt & Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks) have never faced CM Punk
The Young Bucks played a major role in bringing CM Punk back to the wrestling ring by starting AEW. Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson took to Twitter following Punk’s debut on AEW Rampage and updated their bio to reflect their thoughts.
“Thank God we started AEW & are responsible for bringing CM Punk back to wrestling!” The Young Bucks wrote.
The Young Bucks have worked on many of the same promotions on which CM Punk has performed. However, neither Nick nor Matt have shared the same ring as The Best in the World.
CM Punk has been a former tag team champion for different promotions, and he could look to team up with one of his friends in AEW someday. That could bring him face to face with the current AEW Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks.
The Young Bucks have been one of the most prominent tag teams in the wrestling industry for over a decade. A rivalry against CM Punk and a partner of his choice (possibly Daniel Bryan) could help the tag team reach the moon.
The Best in the World has already expressed his desire to work with the two men in his current AEW run. Will fans watch CM Punk team up with Colt Cabana one more time to take on the AEW Tag Team Champions?
#2. CM Punk and AEW TNT Champion Miro have been in the same ring before
AEW TNT Champion Miro and CM Punk have been in the same ring once before. At the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble, Miro (who worked as Alexander Rusev during that time) walked into the match as the only participant from NXT.
CM Punk was one of the men who helped eliminate the massive superstar from the Royal Rumble match. Since then, the two men have not come face to face again.
Miro is one of the largest men on the AEW roster today. He did not have the best of starts in AEW but has slowly become one of the company’s top performers and has won the TNT Championship from Darby Allin.
CM Punk has had several good matches against bigger wrestlers in the past, and the two could put on a good show for the AEW fans. The creative team could look to bring the two former WWE Superstars face to face for an epic rivalry.
AEW will be looking to book a few different rivalries for The Second City Savior. This will be a first-time contest that fans can really get hyped about.
#1. CM Punk is looking forward to facing AEW World Champion Kenny Omega
CM Punk will be looking to take on the cream of AEW during his time in the company. Kenny Omega is one man currently sitting atop the wrestling industry.
Omega has traveled all over the world and won several championships during his wrestling career. Both men have been around the wrestling industry one-and-off for over two decades. Surprisingly, Kenny Omega and CM Punk have never faced each other in the wrestling ring before.
The Second City Savior has named Omega as one of the men he wants to face in AEW.
“CM Punk mentions Jungle Boy, Kenny Omega, Young Bucks as people he wants to work with. "Who knows who else is coming? Well (Tony) probably knows."
However, fans will probably have to wait for some time before the current AEW World Champion and The Best in the World go toe-to-toe in the ring. The 37-year-old is one man who can challenge CM Punk for The Best in the World title.
A rivalry between the two men will be epic, and AEW will likely save that for the biggest possible stage for maximum impact. After all, it could turn out to be the rivalry that helps AEW get more ratings than its competitors.
