CM Punk and AEW: A Match for the Ages?
CM Punk, the man, the myth, the legend. He has been credited with leading the charge for a new generation of wrestlers. That was ten years ago when the infamous 'pipebomb' dropped for the world to see.
Punk's promo was raw and honest with its lambasting of the corporate structure of WWE, the bad creative, and internal politics that was inherent in the company's DNA. CM Punk also saw fit to criticize the use of 'part-timers' over full-time workers like himself.
With that iconic promo, he had finally become the star he was born to be. But if anything, in reality, it was short-lived. As with Daniel Bryan, CM Punk wasn't supposed to be 'The Guy.' He was not the 'chosen one', as some may describe. He didn't fit the archetype that many came to expect from a world champion in WWE
We're not going to rehash the story of how CM Punk left the WWE as it's there across multiple news articles and podcasts for many to see. But, it also brings us quite nicely to the next phase in his career, if reports are to be believed.
CM Punk in AEW: A Tryst with Destiny?
The CM Punk to AEW rumors have been non-stop for a couple of years since the company's inception. He was rumored multiple times to be on the first show, as he was one of the top names on Tony Khan's wish list. Let's assume for a moment that this is indeed happening, and CM Punk will appear in the next 30 days in AEW.
What does he do? How will he be greeted? More importantly, how will AEW handle him creatively? These questions and more will arise in many fans' minds—the question of whether he will be a face or a heel when he arrives in the company is secondary. Punk might be more than that.
People who have dealt with Punk have described him as a 'locker room leader' and a creative force that still has so much to offer the business. While fans will speculate and fantasy-book matches with the likes of Kenny Omega, there is a sense of destiny that Punk brings with him.
It may be sanctimonious to say that Punk's promo all those years ago laid the groundwork for AEW, as brilliantly argued by WhatCulture Wrestling's Andy Murray. Still, the optics do suggest something akin to that.
AEW was billed as the 'people's company,' created for those who wanted wrestling to be less of a factory-driven product and more of an organic storytelling device akin to eras of old. While AEW is a major corporate enterprise, their arrival on the scene cast them as 'rebels,' sparking a light in the darkness.
That's how some fans remember Punk for his tenacity, creativity, and ever-so-real issues with management. More importantly, CM Punk's need to control his creative direction is shared by those who have embarked on the AEW journey.
Maybe it's a cash grab! Perhaps it's a ploy for ratings! But maybe, just maybe, it's a homecoming for the man who dared to be the voice of the voiceless.