5 Reasons CM Punk Was WORTH The Trouble To AEW (... & 5 He Wasn't)
8. Was: So Many Dream Matches...
Any time a wrestler joins a new promotion, it’s impossible for the fans to keep from fantasy booking, and Punk in AEW was a smorgasbord of possibilities. With seven years away from the business, there was essentially a whole new generation of stars for Punk to work with, many of whom would have come up studying his work in Ring Of Honor and beyond.
In his exceptional first promo on Rampage in Chicago, Punk made us believe that this was why he was here in AEW - to reconnect with the art of professional wrestling, beyond the politics and gloss of WWE. He shouted out Darby Allin to sell their first match, but fans were excited for everything that lay ahead.
From new stars like Ricky Starks and Adam Page to old acquaintances like Jon Moxley and ultimate adversary Samoa Joe, Punk burned through a lot of great opponents during his spell in the company. He won a lot, admittedly, but he took a lot of people up a level.
Had he enjoyed better luck with injuries, or simply behaved more sensibly, the raft of exciting opposition was immense. As it was, though…