10 Biggest Mysteries In The Secret War Between AEW And CM Punk

10. Was CM Punk Destined To Self-Implode?

Mystery:

On October 27, 2021 and November 24, 2021, CM Punk and Colt Cabana worked the same live episode of Dynamite. In October, Cabana teamed with the Dark Order and defeated the Elite while Punk defeated Bobby Fish in the opener; less than a month later, Punk defeated QT Marshall where, later in the show, Colt lost to Bryan Danielson.

There are two things of interest here beyond the on-record fact that Punk, at least in 2021, didn't "care where [Colt] works, where he doesn't work". That's what Punk said at the infamous Brawl Out presser, and evidently, he wasn't lying (again: if late 2021 is any indication).

Firstly, it happened twice. If Khan somehow hadn't realised that he'd booked Punk and Cabana to work the same show, and Punk had expressly said that he didn't want Cabana in AEW, that's one thing. It happened a second time less than a month later. Punk is not a shy or timid individual. If he had a problem, he'd have let Khan know by October 28 at the latest.

Secondly, Khan wasn't left without a choice on October 27. Dark Order member Alex Reynolds could have substituted for Cabana, in the event that Punk had a problem: Reynolds was fit, having worked Beyond Wrestling on October 28.

Theory:

At one point, CM Punk was as good as his word: he worked alongside Colt Cabana in an AEW setting. What's more, after the November 17 Dynamite and Rampage tapings, Punk and Hangman sang 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' to send the crowd home happy. Punk continued to befriend Page on Twitter as recently as January 2022. He was very happy in AEW, and he wanted to be Page's friend knowing that Page was also friends with Cabana.

This was all very mature and reasonable, no?

Punk was as good as his word.