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When CM Punk decided to leave professional wrestling back in January of 2014, most didn't expect that he'd take this much time away from the business, as just about everybody who leaves wrestling, mainly WWE, always ends up coming back in the end.
In several interviews since his departure, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion had made it perfectly clear that, at least as of right now, he's not interested in a return to pro wrestling. However, he still remains the hottest free agent on the market, and if he does go back to pro wrestling, he'll certainly get paid a ton of money to do so.
Fortunately, Punk going 0-2 in the UFC hasn't really hurt him in the pro wrestling world, as most respect the fact that he was willing to put everything on the line inside the Octagon. He also handled his two losses like a true professional, which was probably the biggest reason why his value hasn't lessened since his WWE departure.
If he does return to pro wrestling one day, it's probably pretty safe to assume that he'll do so in All Elite Wrestling, and with that in mind, here are three potential opponents for the former WWE Champ if he does decide to sign with AEW in the future.
#3. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho and CM Punk worked together quite a bit towards the end of Punk's WWE run, and the two had fantastic matches together. Furthermore, Jericho is probably the only one in AEW right now who can hang with the ex-pro wrestler on the microphone.
Everyone knows that Punk is fantastic, both in the ring and on the microphone, but he has been away from the business for over five years now, so he might be a bit rusty upon his return to the squared circle. Thus, it would make sense to pair him with a familiar face to make it easier for him to knock the cobwebs.
It might be a bit odd to see two guys who were so strongly associated with WWE in the fans' eyes work against each other in a brand new, upstart company like AEW, which is promising to be an alternative to Vince McMahon's company. But, without a doubt, Jericho would be the best person in the company to pair Punk with for his first match in over five years.
#2. The Young Bucks
Another great way to knock the ring rust off of all while doing a big-time match with him could be to pair him with a partner to take on The Young Bucks, who are by far going to be AEW's biggest tag team when the company officially launches. In fact, after the launch, the team might end up being the biggest tag team in the entire business.
When Punk appeared on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast in November of 2014, he somewhat sarcastically mentioned that he'd come back to work against The Young Bucks, so even though he might not have been completely serious when he said it, there's probably a part of him that does want to work against the team.
As for who Punk's partner would be, well, that's a little tougher to figure out, as there aren't a lot of guys in the company who have strong ties to the ex-WWE Champion. Also, pairing him with another ex-WWE guy might not be the best move unless AEW wants to bring Punk in as a heel, which wouldn't make any sense at all.
#1. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega.
Kenny Omega could very well be the best in-ring performer in the entire business right now, and it's very likely that he'll be the face of All Elite Wrestling upon the launch of the company.
When Chris Jericho went to New Japan Pro Wrestling to take on Omega, it introduced him to a whole new audience that wasn't aware of the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion prior to their match at Wrestle Kingdom 12.
Since he's already worked with Jericho elsewhere, AEW could try to further Omega's popularity, particularly in the United States, by having him go one on one with a debuting CM Punk. Of course, Punk's first match back will be huge regardless of who he faces, but if the company is planning on making Kenny Omega their top man, then having him work against wrestling's hottest free agent upon his debut is the right move.
