5 WWE and AEW stars who CM Punk has never wrestled before

CM Punk made his shocking return to professional wrestling on Friday, August 20th, 2021, joining the ranks at All Elite Wrestling. The date will be forever etched in history as the day that Punk returned to wrestling after a seven-year absence.

CM Punk's career started in 1999, and he has wrestled all over the world on the independent scene and in WWE. You might expect that he would have faced all of the best wrestlers out there during such a long career. But he hasn't.

That being said, let's take a look at five wrestlers CM Punk has never wrestled against before, in no particular order.

#5 CM Punk has never faced Kurt Angle

Would you have been interested in a @RealKurtAngle vs @CMPunk program in WWE if time would’ve aligned? I could’ve seen these two being like Bret and Shawn, where you could put them in as many PPV main events as your heart desires, and it would always be too notch. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/5g3EieKuOn
— Keegan Dimitrijevic 🇨🇦 (@KeeganRW) June 21, 2020

A match between CM Punk and Kurt Angle would no doubt be considered a dream match. Sadly, it has never happened anywhere in the world. It leaves us scratching our heads as to why this match ultimately never happened.

Kurt Angle was signed to WWE between 1999 and 2006 before departing for IMPACT Wrestling. For Punk, he just broke through onto the main roster at WWE in 2006, debuting for WWE's version of ECW. Their paths crossed, but not long enough for them to step into the ring together.

Angle is considered one of the best wrestlers ever, the Second City Saint dubs himself the 'Best in the World,' the match would write itself. Best vs. best. There could have even been a twist with the straight-edge superstar bringing up Kurt Angle's past of substance abuse to add more fire to the storyline.

Throwback to when Baron Corbin retired Kurt Angle last year at #WrestleMania 35 pic.twitter.com/x5qpy6156j
— Wrestling EOD (@xWrestlingEOD) April 4, 2020

Kurt Angle has previously spoken about the possibility of facing Punk before on his Kurt Angle Show Podcast:

"That’s a tough one. I never talked to him. I don’t really know him, but I watched his wrestling and I really appreciated it and that is CM Punk. We would have had a great match. It would have been incredible. I would have loved to work with him. He’s fire with promos." Kurt Angle said (h/t Sportzwiki)

Sadly, this isn't a match we are going to get to see. Kurt Angle has retired from professional wrestling following his defeat to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35.

Like all professional wrestling, though, never say never. Could Kurt Angle rock up in AEW for one last match someday? If he does, CM Punk has to be at the top of that list.