10 Major Moves AEW Could Make On Its Debut TV Show
1. NOT Sign CM Punk
Realistically, CM Punk could not have done any more to distance himself from pro wrestling.
He's on the convention circuit now, but so what? It's a traditional and fair means of making money, post-retirement. Hacksaw Jim Duggan routinely appears at meet-and-greets, but nobody interprets that as a sign of his imminent return. Hacksaw Jim Duggan hasn't, as far as can be inferred, severed ties with literally everybody he was close to in WWE. He hasn't told the press over and over and over again that he is "done", or that nobody has even presented him with an acceptable offer through appropriate channels. Hacksaw Jim Duggan hasn't buried WWE so viciously that it catalysed a legal battle.
And yet.
If somebody saw CM Punk walking at speed across the street, he'd get accused of taking an Irish whip. No way, man. People usually walk across the street. That was definitely Cody 'round the corner, and they're practising their match!
AEW is using its slight veteran presence to build towards the future. The undercard talent roster is so young and fresh that many of the featured players weren't even on NXT's wide radar. AEW is presenting itself as something unprecedented.
Going all out to sign CM Punk - something that isn't remotely close to happening - might compromise all that.
Of course, AEW has just announced one major move already - Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks Vs Chris Jericho and two mystery opponents. Check back to WhatCulture.com/WWE for an article very shortly, in which we attempt to guess their identity.