5 Challengers for a Returning CM Punk

The wrestling world can rejoice… or they can start grabbing those pitch forks, depending on which side of the fence you’re on.  But from my perspective, it’s time to celebrate because per Fightful, it appears that CM Punk is, in fact, on his way back to AEW this summer!

Whether you like the man or not, this is great news.  It means that all sides have seemingly put their differences aside for the sake of working together and creating quality content for us, the fans!

So with that, I couldn’t think of any better way to get excited for the next summer of Punk than to go over what I think are 5 feuds that should happen once Phil has officially made his return. But instead of fawning over him for the next hour, I’ll jump right into the list!

1.  The Elite

We’ll just go ahead and get the most obvious one out of the way first.  It would be nothing short of a colossal failure if we don’t somehow manage to get a CM Punk feud with The Elite in some way, shape or form.  Obviously, Punk teaming up with FTR is the easiest way to make it happen, but I’m sure these guys are all creative enough to figure out a way if that isn’t an option for some reason.

After the media scrum, the fans were left divided.  Not since AEW’s inception had we seen a line drawn down the middle for wrestling fans that was so big that it left us with weeks upon weeks of bad take after bad take content that flooded the timelines of Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and any other social media platform you could think of.  To not capitalize on that would not only be a disservice to the fans but the bank accounts of all the parties involved.  There is real-life hatred there, and these are the instances in which the best storylines are centered around.  We want to see these real-life beefs unfold on television as some of us have become so embroiled in the controversy that we honestly believe that we have a dog in this fight.

I would fully expect this to be the first program we get upon CM Punk’s return, and I am through the roof excited with the possibilities that may come with it.  With a big Wembley stadium to fill for All In, this is definitely the program you want headlining the big event.

2.  Jungle Boy

From the most obvious to the least, Jungle Boy comes in as what a lot of people would probably consider a head scratcher.  But it’s actually a pretty easy one to wrap your head around if you think about it.

Punk has worked with two of the pillars so far.  He has worked with Darby Allin and Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and Phil was able to get the best out of both of those young talents during those programs.  And since they have moved on, they have both been elevated and are currently in better positions then they were prior to their matches with Punk.  So, we just do a rinse and repeat tactic here and place Jungle Boy as the next in line to see what Punk can get out of him.

What helps this feud out is that Jungle Boy has already learned quite a bit working with Christian, which has allowed his confidence to grow a little bit.  Whereas he is still pretty shy on the mic still, he has grown enough to where he needs to be tested once again in a definitive sink or swim moment.  The confidence from working with Christian and Jungle Boy taking The Elite’s side of things could provide him with just enough to bark back and prevent the segments from being completely one-sided.

Do I think Jack Perry can hold his own against Punk on the mic?  Absolutely not.  But he can learn an awful lot from Mr. Brooks and he’s got enough going for him the ring with his innovative offense that it could make for some very entertaining matches between the two, and hopefully it would be exactly what Jungle Jack Perry needs to take the next step in AEW.

3.  Adam Cole

So we all know what Phil thinks of The Elite and we saw a few instances online where Jungle Boy had sided with the Bucks and Kenny, but Adam Cole is a name that has seemingly been kept away from this whole mess.  As a matter of fact, Phil actually spoke kindly of Adam during the big media scrum fiasco when he called Cole “a sweetheart.”

Why does this need to happen?  Well, for one, because I’m a fan of both, and it’s something I’ve wanted to see.  Two, it would provide a dance partner for Phil that isn’t surrounded by animosity and three… it could get Adam Cole over that hump that he’s been unable to do thus far since joining All Elite Wrestling.

With the exception of Mox, Hangman, and MJF, most of the talent that Punk has worked with was a level beneath him, and we didn’t exactly expect him to be taking losses to them.  Adam Cole is in that sweet spot where a win isn’t out of the question, and since Phil thinks kindly of the guy, it’s a very real possibility that he’d be willing to put him over.  A win over CM Punk would push Adam Cole from the outside looking in right up into the main event scene, to a true title contender.  And if you read my article from the other day, you would know that I think an AEW Championship run is in Adam’s future.  This feud would be an excellent way to catapult him into that conversation.

4.  Orange Cassidy

I can hear the collective number of groans from here.  The most polarizing gimmick in professional wrestling against the most polarizing personality.  But at the end of the day, you can watch the shows and see that Orange Cassidy is over with the crowd and since I expect Punk to come back as the big bad heel, this one is too juicy to pass up.

I would assume that Cassidy’s phenomenal International Title run is coming to an end relatively soon, which might lead to a very well-deserved break from action.  But when he returns, it’s of the utmost importance that they find a way to capitalize on the momentum he’s gained from the title run and do so in a big way.  A feud with CM Punk is just what the doctor ordered.  An angry, loud-mouthed Phil looking to lash out at anyone that steps in his way, and out comes the coolest, calmest guy on the planet to challenge Punk.  That first half-assed thumbs up with Orange’s whatever demeanor would be such a polar opposite to what Punk brings to the table and could be one of the most intriguing feuds in AEW to date.

5.  Darby Allin

With Sting’s time coming to an end, it makes all the sense in the world for Darby to be the guy to give him that final match.  Whether he wins or not is yet to be seen, but either way, it is a big moment for him.  Where can he go after that?  CM Punk.  Full circle time.  It all started with a return match against Darby Allin, and this time around, I think it’s time we let Darby get that win back.

It was a bit surprising to see not only how much chemistry the two had in that first match-up but how well the match was itself, seeing as how it was the first one for Phil in over seven years.  Much can be credited to Darby there, but also Punk and how he was able to slow things down when they needed to be slowed down and teaching Darby about the fine art form of in-ring psychology.  It is my opinion that Darby has grown by leaps and bounds since that match, and it can all be attributed to what he was able to learn from Phil, and maybe a bit from the Stinger.  It’s time we see the new and improved version challenge Punk yet again.

Does Darby need to win?  Not necessarily, but he’s reached a level now that it wouldn’t be out of the question and even in defeat, it would only add to the redemption story they could tell during the third battle down the road where Darby finally was able to get one over on Punk.  But in the event that he actually picked up the win, just like Adam Cole, he is now entering the next level on the show and could be viewed as a main event caliber guy.

So there it is, what do you think?  Are you excited that CM Punk is coming back?  Do you think these feuds make any sense?  If not, who would you want to see him work with?  Sound off in the comments!

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