If CM Punk And Bryan Danielson Go To AEW…

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss the ramifications of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson go to AEW.

Should CM Punk go to AEW?

Steven Jackson: I hate to say it, but I’m tired of the whole CM Punk returning situation. It would be great to see him in AEW, but I’d much rather see the current talents they have than CM Punk coming in.

Neal Wagner: Yes, Punk going to AEW would be awesome considering what he complained about with WWE leading up to his departure. Similar to Moxley, he can hopefully find his passion again based on not having anything scripted for him and putting on his matches the way he wants to do things.

Chad Gelfand: Absolutely. If CM Punk wants to get back into wrestling, then AEW is the perfect place for him. He’ll have enough creative freedom where he won’t get burnt out as quickly, and the AEW audience seems more in line with the hardcore fans that helped make Punk so popular.

John Corrigan: As long as he can still transform into Ricky Rabies for the Duffy Wrestling League!

Jack Goodwillie: If CM Punk is ready to wrestle, AEW presents the best opportunity. He and Vince working together again in WWE would be like an odd bedfellows situation, so if he wants to maximize this last run, AEW is the right move. The talent roster is also beginning to slowly gain on WWE after all these cuts, necessary and unnecessary.

Should Bryan Danielson go to AEW?

Jackson: Bryan Danielson is a wrestler who fits the WWE mold really well. From following his whole career from ROH onwards, I was worried he wouldn’t work in WWE. Yet, he proved me wrong! It will be fun to see Bryan Danielson in AEW. But I also have my reservations, mostly the performances Danielson may want to produce in AEW and the implications it could have on his health.

Wagner: While Bryan going would be great, he doesn’t have to do it. He has already cemented his spot as one of the greatest of all time. Same as Jericho, he would be doing it for the entertainment of us. I just hope that this isn’t him holding on just a little too long and overstaying his welcome.

Gelfand: Bryan should go to AEW. He’s done everything in WWE, including main eventing WrestleMania twice. This portion of Bryan Danielson’s career is about getting creative fulfillment in the ring, which he’ll have more of a chance to do in AEW and the other various indies and promotions he’ll be allowed to compete in.

Corrigan: Absolutely because I’m never going to watch him on Raw, SmackDown or the art formerly known as NXT.

Goodwillie: Considering all we’ve heard about Bryan’s wants and needs on his next wrestling contract, AEW has to be looked at as the better fit. We know he wants flexibility, and let’s face it, AEW can offer that whereas WWE can’t. AEW is definitely the move, and he might be one of the company’s greatest assets once he actually makes his debut. He has the name to work at the top of the card, but also the skill to help elevate the younger guys. Don’t be surprised, though, if he spends large chunks of his time in New Japan (six-to-nine months at a time). That’ll ultimately benefit both parties, as AEW would, in theory, only have to pay Bryan when it uses him and New Japan can foot the bill while AEW funds the CM Punk experiment.

Who would you most like to see CM Punk face?

Jackson: Darby Allin. It has been hinted already, but Darby and CM Punk could produce a unique and fun match.

Wagner: Punk should mix it up with Moxley. Something about that match would be amazing to see and can always do some carry over from WWE days considering that Punk claims that The Shield was his idea, anyways.

Gelfand: Adam Page. This would work further down the line when CM Punk turns heel. Self-righteous straight edge Punk vs. borderline alcoholic, anxious millennial cowboy Page would be money.

Corrigan: Eddie Kingston. Imagine those promos. I’m sure the match would be different and fun, too.

Goodwillie: There’s so many names, and that’s part of the beauty of Punk having been off for as long as he has. I’m not as keen on him taking on the likes of Kenny Omega, as I don’t know if it’s too much of a stylistic fit. Punk is old school in so many ways, which is why he’s still so popular. He needs an opponent who can match him on promos, so for that reason Cody is a logical first opponent. On the flip side, Malakai Black would be a good opponent. After all, we have to assume Punk will be coming in as a babyface, and there always seemed to be a heavy Punk influence on Black’s promos.

Who would you most like to see Bryan Danielson face?

Jackson: It’s been a long time coming, but it has to be “The God of Professional Wrestling” Kenny Omega!

Wagner: I want to see Bryan mix it up with not as established talent like he was doing in WWE before he left: Gulak, Zayn, etc. While he could be like Christian and be used in main event spots, he should be used to elevated other talents like Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page and Jungle Boy to only make them better for their run in the main event spots in the next few years.

Gelfand: Kenny Omega. These two could really bring out the best in each other and deliver a classic. When they’re both going 100%, there are few better in the world.

Corrigan: Kenny Omega is the marquee match, but I’ll enjoy seeing him against anyone on the roster he’s never faced before. I’d also enjoy seeing CM Punk and Bryan Danielson play in the tag team division.

Goodwillie: With Bryan, we can get a little crazier. A match with Miro could deliver in every way, as far as having a hard-hitting, well-worked match goes. The Kenny Omega dream match needs to happen, given the reputation of both. Then again, I’d also like to see him face Andrade in a non-WWE setting and see what kind of match they can have. Punk may be a special attraction, but Bryan is going to want to wrestle, so I have a lot of faith in AEW giving the fans as much Bryan Danielson as they can handle.

If CM Punk and Bryan Danielson join AEW, is the roster too crowded for up-and-coming talent like Hangman Page to break through?

Jackson: Yes. The one thing AEW (and all non-WWE companies) need to do is carve a niche for itself with its own talent. Wrestlers always come from somewhere, but you need people to put their egos aside and allow younger wrestlers to grow and climb up the card. That is my one big worry with CM Punk and Bryan Danielson heading to AEW. But I hope I’m proven wrong.

Wagner: I would only consider the roster overcrowded if AEW begins to use only the talent from WWE. If Scorpio Sky, Jungle Boy and Hangman Page get pushed aside, then you have a problem. At this point, faction warfare is a great idea because then the fans can see the guys emerge from their own groups and lead the charge later on. No one predicted that The Rock would be huge when he joined The Nation. Hell, HHH was HBK’s sidekick before he emerged.

Gelfand: Adam Page is so good and so popular that giving him a push at the top of the card will almost be undeniable, no matter who’s in front of him on the roster.

Corrigan: In theory, Punk and Danielson will be able to elevate the current crop of young guns. Will that actually happen? Maybe down the line, but you can bet that Hangman Page and everybody else will be on the back burner for the foreseeable future.

Goodwillie: No, this is where the second show can fit in. Brand splits in wrestling can obviously work if executed properly and committed to, and AEW’s talent roster has entered rarified air. It might not be a bad idea to go this route to keep the young wrestlers on their own, separate tracks so that one day, a match between, say, an MJF and Darby Allin, can be gangbusters as opposed to seeing them feud in the upper midcard. It also creates a chance to tell higher quality stories with more variety. A brand split seems like a no-brainer.