10 Most Important Wrestlers In AEW’s History

The tumultuous nature of CM Punk's AEW career will color many fans' opinions of the performer, despite him arguably having one of the best year-long runs ever. The two-time AEW World Champion accomplished almost everything he feasibly could have done in his short time in the company, which should be remembered when contemplating his now-tainted legacy.

Firstly, Punk's debut was perfect and immediately made AEW feel like a bigger deal for having the straight-edge superstar on board. His follow-up match with Darby Allin at All Out 2021 showed that Punk had barely missed a beat in his seven years away from the sport. The Eddie Kingston feud was sublime as both men fired caustic promos at each other before having a heated, bloody brawl where fans were actually split between the returning Punk and his opponent.

If there are any doubters about the quality of Punk's AEW run then his feud with MJF should make them reconsider, as it will probably go down as one of, if not the best in the company's history. The promos were expertly crafted, as was the in-ring action between the pair, particularly in the Dog Collar match at Revolution 2022.

His feud with Hangman Adam Page for the AEW title always felt a little bit strange, which was made apparent later on given all of the backstage drama that Punk had been involved in. However, winning the championship was the correct decision and if an injury had not stopped him, Punk may have had an even more memorable run.