3 Reasons why CM Punk's AEW run has been a disappointment and 2 it hasn't
CM Punk has been back in professional wrestling for over two months now. The destination of his choice was AEW and not WWE. In hindsight, even Punk admitted that WWE was never an option.
CM Punk didn't leave WWE on good terms, and his opinion of the product wasn't that positive either. Ultimately, AEW has turned out to be a far better fit for him, and it's unlikely that he would have been happy being back in WWE.
For CM Punk, it's all about reinvigorating his passion for wrestling and not sports entertainment. Ultimately, a lot of this doesn't matter because Punk is rightfully and deservedly happy at AEW.
We will also acknowledge that CM Punk is a needle mover. Tony Khan has openly admitted how much of a difference having him and Bryan Danielson has made, with various numbers shooting up -- from ratings to merchandise sales.
However, being the devil's advocate, we'd like to point out three ways that CM Punk's AEW run has disappointed so far and two ways it hasn't:
#3. Has disappointed: CM Punk's matches haven't been all that great yet
Nothing but respect between @CMPunk and @MattSydal. #AEWRampage #AEWonTNT https://t.co/Hb9BlHTiqD
Admittedly, this might be a criticism that we take back within weeks, a month, or possibly even sooner. So far, CM Punk has gone through four opponents - Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, and Matt Sydal.
As much as people would like to tell themselves that the Darby Allin match at ALL OUT was good, it was average at best. It's hard to instantly criticize Punk for that because it was, after all, his first match in close to eight years.
The ring rust kicked in, and he had two more average matches on Rampage against Powerhouse Hobbs and Daniel Garcia -- both of whom he beat. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), it was his latest bout against Matt Sydal that delivered in a big way.
If anything, it should highlight how good and underrated Matt Sydal is as an in-ring performer. Punk is slowly getting back into rhythm, but no credit should be taken away from Sydal.
Having the time of my life! 👁👁👁Thank you @CMPunk @TonyKhan @AEW @lucha_angel1 @RefTurnerAEW
Peace, Love, and Pro-Wrestling. 🌵 https://t.co/gBp6sSvlOJ
While it may come across as too harsh, CM Punk's matches in AEW haven't been that great so far. The Matt Sydal match was good because it was a big improvement for him, but as of now, there's a long way to go for him to get back into his in-ring shape.
Perhaps it's even unfair of us to expect the old CM Punk to have the same in-ring prowess nearly eight years after his last bout with WWE. However, it's something that we can see improving.
When looking at the likes of AJ Styles, what he did over the years was to simply adjust his in-ring style according to his age, and fans hardly seemed to notice.