The Problem With CM Punk That No One Wants To Talk About

Between Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Hangman Page's World Title surge, and whatever else Tony Khan may have up his sleeve, August and September 2021 have the potential to be historic months for All Elite Wrestling.

If all goes well, the period could fast-forward the promotion's growth to the point that Raw's ratings in key demographics, if not overall viewership, are within touching distance. This would have been unthinkable even a few months ago, let alone when Dynamite debuted in October 2019. A show that has been on the airwaves since 1993 should not have fallen this close to one that's less than two years old.

AEW, already wildly underpaid for its television deal, will then have the potential to push even further. Those who said the startup would fail within a year have already been proven wrong. Now, it has the opportunity to take its biggest leap to date.

Punk is key to that, and AEW's team have built enough trust in being able to sustain his buzz beyond the initial pop. Phil Brooks has never been the kind of guy to operate at half-speed either. If he's in, he's all the way in.

His arrival would be the truest test of the audience's devotion to guys like Page, whom they have followed for over two years now. Here's hoping this stays true.