EVERY Wrestler AEW Has Ever Released - Where Are They Now?
1. CM Punk
Surely the biggest talent AEW has let go to date, and the most volatile, CM Punk moved from the independent circuit to WWE in 2005, where he spent a decade making a serious name for himself winning the Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship a whopping three times.
Although Punk retired in 2014, he still made sporadic appearances as a free agent thereafter, leading up to his official return at AEW's Chicago-based event The First Dance. The crowd response was unprecedented and he became one of their biggest draws not just in 2021 but of all. Unfortunately, it wasn't built to last.
Punk defended the Real World Championship against Samoa Joe at All In in August of this year, in what would turn out to be his final AEW match. Following the event, Punk was involved in a backstage altercation with Jack Perry and was was terminated with cause, after it was felt that he had endangered people backstage and outside legal counsel had to be sought.
As this is all very fresh, it is uncertain what CM Punk's plans are, but there has been speculation about his possible return to WWE, with exec Shawn Michaels recently saying he would love to see him in NXT.