10 Wrestlers AEW Saved From Retirement

Batten down the hatches because it's time to talk about CM Punk.

None of you will be surprised to see Punk on this list, as he is one of All Elite Wrestling's biggest signings, and one of the most prolific examples of a retired wrestler coming back into the industry.

Punk was infamously fired from WWE in 2014 after spending close to a decade with the promotion, and he departed with all the bad blood of a Taylor Swift concert. Fans had to quickly get used to a wrestling landscape without the Voice of the Voiceless, as he made it very clear he had no interest in stepping back into the ring, and stayed true to that for roughly seven years.

However, after failing to find success in UFC, he broke the wrestling world by returning to in-ring action and signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2021. This momentous revival of his career was seen as one of AEW's biggest triumphs, and created some spectacular matches.

Sadly, you all know how this story goes, as Punk's backstage antics quickly overshadowed his work. Two well-documented altercations with his peers damaged his reputation, and eventually caused Tony Khan to fire him. Talk about going two for two.

What Punk does next is beyond anyone's guess, but he's got the wrestling world watching his every move.