Wrestling’s 10 Biggest Missed Opportunities Of 2023
1. Missing The Chance To Unleash A CM Punk Vs. The Elite Storyline
AEW had the chance to turn one of their most controversial and darkest moments into perhaps the most exciting story they would ever tell.
But some things are clearly simpler on paper than they are in reality. And instead of sitting down with all the parties involved and finding a solution that could set the stage for a program for the ages, chaos, bitterness, and pettiness was given the opportunity to infect the locker room and steal the headlines.
Look, it would have no doubt taken some pretty uncomfortable conversations and interactions to get The Elite and CM Punk on the same page. But had Tony Khan found a way to get The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega and the Punker to shake hands and agree to make all of the money out of their backstage madness, AEW would likely still be the undisputed hottest promotion in town.
Punk and his FTR pals warring with the guys who created their workplace could have produced months and months of compelling All Elite programming, possibly sold out even more stadiums, and resulted in one of the last true megastars in the industry still calling AEW home.
That glorious opportunity came and went in the space of just over two months, however, as Punk's All In collision with Jack Perry finally killed all hopes of a truly Elite feud.