INSANE Wrestling Fan Backlashes You Didn't See Coming

5. No Revolt For CM Punk

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AEW

WWE history is so overwhelming, the thing everybody who follows wrestling knows about the most, that it informs how the fandom receives everything else.

This phenomenon, understandable given the promotion's monopoly, has affected AEW through no fault of AEW's own. This isn't to state that AEW is faultless - they willingly hired Vickie Guerrero, after all - but many people were cynical and anxious about AEW's ability to do certain things because WWE botched the hell out of almost everything.

Consider the result of the Elite Vs. Dark Order at Fight For The Fallen 2021: because WWE had a dismal track record of promoting veterans and part-time stars over up-and-coming talents, the threat of Hangman Page not completing his story felt all too real, even if the reality proved the cynicism to be just that.

It was thought, then, that the Chicago fans would revolt over All Out 2023 weekend when Tony Khan announced that CM Punk had been terminated with cause on the go-home episode of Collision. That's what WWE fans would do; they'd chant "CM Punk!" in protest once upon a time.

If anything, the backlash was at Punk's expense. Beyond a one-minute spell when the Young Bucks were in the ring, the fans simply didn't care: even Punk's staunchest supporters knew that it was time for him to go, and AEW was much better off with the closure that his firing brought.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!