10 AEW ALL OUT 2021 Impulse Reactions

3. CM Punk Vs. Darby Allin

Adam Cole Bryan Danielson
AEW

The most beautiful version of the pro wrestling basics, CM Punk Vs Darby Allin continued the wonderful and life-affirming return of 'The Straight Edge Superstar' with a clash pitched perfectly between technical thriller and comeback special.

The pair aped an iconic opening spot from a legendary 1-2-3 Kid/Bret Hart clash to further establish the dynamic, then lived up to those comparisons further as one took to the skies and the other worked diligently to stay focused in the face of such unique danger.

Punk had put over Allin's dive before signing with AEW, so presumably enjoyed taking one square in the face at the midpoint, but had other ideas when it came to the coffin drop, A luxurious closing sequence folded in a sit-up avoidance and pinfall attempts for the match-winning Go2Sleep all enhanced by the details the pair had peppered in throughout the series of holds, breaks and fiery flashpoints.

A final note too, on his divisive tights. Your writer approved - new beginnings bring about shocking but positive changes, and one day he's going to get a set made in pink and black. And that shout-out could be even greater than the one that kicked all of this back off.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett