Why AEW Has Just Pulled Off The Mother Of All Game-Changers

by Michael Sidgwick
Vince McMahon
WWE

CM Punk can't play heel for at least year. He could, but Tony Khan would be pissing in the wind. Nobody is going to boo him. His body will be ready. He has avoided seven years of wear and tear, and is only 42. He's the average age of a WWE main roster headliner. And if he can't play to his strengths immediately, he'll have a hell of a time pitching ideas for heels to get heat on him, even if he wishes he were on the other side of the ring. He was phenomenal in his day, and if there's an argument to be made that others have ran with his style, it won't matter. He will exude a megastar aura in the context of AEW. And when he does turn, there's a certain anxious beer enthusiast he can finally work with to get the very best facet of his militant straight edge act over.

Bryan is different - he was presented at the upper midcard level in WWE just this year before a WrestleMania rewrite - but in the opinion of many, including your writer, he is the superior talent. He is one of the very best pro wrestlers to ever do it - a storytelling wizard so powerful that he can get anybody he works with massively over. He is a genius. He headlined WrestleMania this year. He is a get.

How big a get, if in fact AEW get him?

Time will tell, but a better product boasting Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, Sting, Darby Allin, Hangman Page, the Young Bucks, Britt Baker, MJF, and more versus a dog-sh*t product boasting Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Riddle, John Morrison, and Alexa Bliss?

The game is changing.

How can it not be?

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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!