5 AEW Superstars who Vince McMahon will regret releasing
Several WWE stars and legends have jumped ship to AEW. Some of the biggest names such as Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho had completed their commitment to WWE and jumped ship, while other legends like Paul Wight, Mark Henry, and Sting decided to embark on a new challenge.
AEW has been the platform for several WWE stars, so much so that they've received criticism for picking up the pieces that WWE has dropped off. But if you were to ask the former WWE stars who jumped ship, they will likely tell you that they got a new lease on life. Here are five AEW stars whom Vince McMahon might regret releasing:
#5. CM Punk - Does Vince McMahon regret not signing the AEW Star?
A new era in #AEW begins now! @CMPunk
Tune into @tntdrama NOW to watch #AEWRampage #theFirstDance LIVE! https://t.co/3JHKNu3LyQ
CM Punk made his official return to wrestling after seven-and-a-half years away. His retirement period was just short of his entire WWE run. However, it came as no surprise that AEW was his chosen destination and not WWE.
Before anyone points to Punk "walking out" of WWE, he was technically released by the promotion. He served a two-month suspension after walking out and was handed his termination papers on his wedding day, something which he revealed was the final straw for him and WWE.
It took seven-and-a-half years, and AEW was the promotion that convinced him to return to wrestling. His star power was instantly felt and it was considered a "game-changing" signing. So much so that even FOX sports was reportedly upset with WWE for not making an effort to sign CM Punk.
“WHERE OH WHERE ARE MY WWE ICE CREAM BARS?!?!”
- CM Punk to Vince McMahon in 2011.
One decade later, we got the ice cream bars. Thank you @TonyKhan @CMPunk https://t.co/yspwktIgYu
Sportskeeda's Arpit Shrivastava wrote:
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the higher-ups at FOX are unhappy that WWE didn't pursue CM Punk enough, which opened the doors for him to join AEW. FOX has been the home for SmackDown since late 2019, and it's understandable why they would be upset at the recent turn of events.
When asked by FOX, WWE reportedly responded that CM Punk's asking price was "too high", and FOX offered to help pay for his signing. However, it ultimately fell through.
While Punk said that WWE was never really an option, Vince McMahon might end up regretting it. Ultimately, he has done business with superstars with whom he has had a far worse falling out.
Tony Khan has already described Punk as a game-changing signing, and it's no surprise why.