10 Classic Wrestling Rivalries With ONE THING MISSING

7. CM Punk Vs MJF - The Trilogy Finale

Triple H Randy Orton
AEW

To say CM Punk had unfinished business in All Elite Wrestling would be the wrestling understatement of 2023, and that doesn't even apply to whatever water might have needed to travel under the bridge between him and Jack Perry following the ugly behind-the-scenes scrap at All In London.

Yet, it wasn't 2023's story of the year that blew up the possibility of a glorious finale to an all-time rivalry. It was 2022's.

When Punk scorched the earth and everyone in it following an AEW World Heavyweight Title victory over Jon Moxley at All Out, he tore up a long-term plan to have MJF - a returning "Devil" - get his hands on the gold for the first time as ultimate revenge for everything that happened between the pair earlier that year. The Dog Collar match at Revolution had been perhaps the best payoff to the best story in the company's short and electrifying history, but it only levelled the pair at one win apiece.

This isn't to say a decider couldn't take place somewhere else in the future. But it won't be in All Elite Wrestling. Speaking of which...

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