This Is The WWE Match That Influenced CM Punk's AEW Debut
CM Punk and Darby Allin paid homage to a true WWE classic at AEW All Out.
The CM Punk vs. Darby Allin match at AEW's All Out pay-per-view this past Sunday was visibly influenced by a classic Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid clash from the 11 July 1994 edition of Raw.
Both guys didn't even try to hide it - little touches, like an early lockup-into-roll-through spot (and even Darby's spectacular flip to the outside), paid tribute to Sean Waltman's breakout performance opposite the 'Hitman' from yesteryear.
The influence was so clear, in fact, that even Waltman himself thanked the pair via Twitter and said he was "honoured to have taken part in something that still has influence 1/4 of a century later". This lovely moment hasn't been followed up by comments from Punk, Allin or Bret at time of writing.
Give it time.
AEW's finest borrowed more than one spot from the WWE classic. For proof, check out this Bret Hart fan page on Instagram. It shows a sequence from Punk/Darby, then the equivalent from Hart/Kid, and it's well-worth seeing if you're a fan of the latter.
This brilliant recognition of a WWF hidden gem is just one of the reasons why All Out was such a smash hit.