Why Wrestling Is About To Make The Biggest Mistake Of The Century

CM Punk
AEW

It was as sports-oriented as pro wrestling gets; greying, sweat-soaked old legend gradually rediscovers his sharpness and form by racking up close, hard-fought victories over journeymen and emerging talents before proving himself worthy of the ultimate prize.

Embarking on the journey with Punk was immensely rewarding when he reached the destination, but perhaps it was all much too patient for the curious new viewers to stick with. As much as Punk struggling to put away Daniel Garcia and Lee Moriarty deepened the heft of Punk's triumph in the end, those new viewers were piqued by the signings of Punk, Cole and Danielson because they expected Punk, Danielson and Cole to work one another. When they realised that the eye-catching dream roster wouldn't immediately interact with itself, in an era of pop culture that has never yielded more entertainment options, they opted out.

Since 1993, the expectation for pro wrestling has been established. Stars wrestle stars. Tony Khan has spent his career as a promoter attempting to re-train the audience. Stars can lose without it being an embarrassment; matches needn't necessarily be arrived at as anything other than a sporting fixture; the macho men can appear as sensitive figures struggling, as we all do, with mental health. Teaching patience in an instant gratification world however proved impossible.

AEW can bottle the lightning again because, somehow, CM Punk returning to AEW is as improbable now, if not more so, than it was on July 20, 2021: the day before Fightful Select broke the news on Twitter that he was in talks to return to wrestling.

CONT'D...(3 of 6)

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Contributor
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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!