10 Classic Wrestling Rivalries With ONE THING MISSING

2. CM Punk Vs Jon Moxley - A Decider

Triple H Randy Orton
AEW

The tension between AEW's top stars CM Punk and Jon Moxley felt real because it turned out to be just that.

In the aftermath of All Out 2022's press scrum, both exchanged frosty words about one another, and a rewatch of the short programme reveals some tasty disdain between the two. The way it played out might well have been politically-motivated too - Punk got flattened in an unexpected Dynamite clash, then beat Moxley in a worthy pay-per-view follow-up. It reeked of compromise even with two seasoned veterans at the wheel, and that's perhaps the biggest reason why a deciding battle between the two seems so elusive.

To work together, you've got to be able to work together. Can they?

Also, Jon Moxley going back to WWE or CM Punk returning to AEW feel like the longest shots in wrestling at present. Nothing's impossible but this one's improbable, and in wrestling there's nothing more enticing than the theoretically forbidden fruit.

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