In the aftermath of All Out 2022, the seemingly never ending conversation started. What came of a grumpy man devouring innocent muffins (shoutout to Mindy’s Bakery), saw a man lash out at coworkers and his employer before getting in a backstage brawl. It’s as talked about as the Montreal Screwjob or how stacked the WWE roster was in 2008.
Oh, what a contrast it was to a year prior. That beautiful moment in the United Center in Chicago during the night’s episode of AEW Rampage: The First Dance turned into a nightmare scenario and a PR disaster. Very few people looked good coming out of it.
A year of memorable promos and fantastic matches, and the greatest story of it was that he was falling behind despite succeeding. He was excelling, but his rustiness and his age were not going to bring us the same Voice of the Voiceless. He would “botch” and then turn these slip-ups and mistakes into a part of his story. CM Punk found inventive ways to be a pro, even in the midst of imperfections.
To see it spiral in the way it has as the ship struggled and succeeded to right its course and return to glory, it’s a miracle and it’s a testament to how strong the soul of it is. Granted, it isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to the company. There’s been numerous terrible instances throughout wrestling history to document that.
Sure, the company was made, inspired by the likes of Punk, Chris Jericho, and The Elite/Bullet Club, but it became so much more. Stars had been made, redeemed, and stories had been told. What had once been an over two year old promotion felt as though it was around for decades. It was a fairytale dream come true.
Perhaps that’s because AEW celebrates all of wrestling. From WWE to the indies, Japan to Mexico, this was the zenith. A hotspot for what the world knew about pro wrestling had changed, multiple times, thanks to Tony Khan’s promotion.
But like most tales, the highs must end, and the lows must overtake.
I don’t believe anyone is in the wrong for how they’ve thought the best of Punk would stay. We’ve all had the feeling of wanting to be somewhere else, somewhere that’d make us happy. That’s what made his character so gripping and relatable – he was tired of the same dull, witless world that kept those without a ceiling trapped under one anyway, and he wanted to change that.
From angy youths to bitter adults, we’ve needed a CM Punk to make us believe that there was a greatness out there worth fighting for.
But he isn’t the end-all, be-all that we thought he was. Just the nice little cherry on top.
We’ve since had The Elite back, singing their beautiful, melodramatic songs since. For the first time since before All Out, it felt like the essence of AEW was back to where it was. The war between Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite, and the target on champion MJF’s back placed by Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, and Jack Perry, these stories have driven and continue to drive the company forth.
AEW doesn’t need CM Punk. The dollars and the ratings will be nice, but they’ve shown to be able to move on and be sustainable.
CM Punk, he also doesn’t need AEW. He could easily be able to make money elsewhere. But if he’s staying with AEW, he will need them if he wants to improve his legacy.
For every story of the peers that dislike him, there’s an equal amount who do still like him. Both on various sides of the morality scale in terms of perception. There’s still a lot to love about him, yet there’s a lot to be wary of.
While the thought of CM Punk vs Kenny Omega is so tantalizing, it should not come at the cost of what either party is comfortable with. It may be money, but money ain’t everything. Nobody should be forced into an awkward work situation with someone. Point being, if Punk isn’t able to keep his shit together, don’t put innocent people in his wake who just want to do their jobs and make people forget about their lives.
To be clear, I don’t want this to come off as a Punk burial. I’ve enjoyed his time in AEW. I’m happy we got him back and got so much quality out of him. I still want the dream matches, the continued stories, and to see if he redeems himself or not. I like the guy and I want the best for him, but I also want the best for everyone else.
But at the same time, will he be worth the risk? Will the happiness of the roster be in jeopardy? These are the questions that Tony Khan must ask himself, and maybe what CM Punk himself must ask: Is it worth it? Let me work it, flip it over and reverse it.
Missy Elliot aside, the saga of Punk has to come to a head somewhere. With the news of his return and his wish to wrestle again, things are about to be nasty. Lines drawn in the sand will be crossed and the customer must be kept happy. He has to know this, and he has to know that he should improve his image.
As it stands, I do not have a good feeling. I hope this ages poorly, but I have a gut feeling it will happen again. Ignoring what the rest of the fanbase has to say, however, I feel he has a lot to gain in getting on people’s good side. He’s given the privilege to try again, as often as Tony Khan wants him to.
I cannot for a second let the thought cross my mind that he’d be content with letting his legacy be tarnished this way. Maybe I’m just naïve, but the notion that he wants to come back when he could easily return to writing comic books and acting in films and series, he would not be happy with how he sits in the eyes of the people. It would sting just as badly as those months at home and working injured. It is here where I wish he listened to his own words: “Sometimes things don’t go your way, but you get up and keep going.”
What’s also important to note is that he would also need to keep his ego in check. Look out for himself, yes, absolutely. But read the room, remember how to properly treat others, and leave the locker room a better place than when it was left. For all of Punk’s talk about WWE’s Wrestler’s Court and the attitude he has toward it, surely he’d be self-aware enough to see how ridiculous he had been.
I consider myself a person who can tell when someone is actually trying to change for the better. Yeah, things may fall through the cracks, but I truly believe that Punk was trying to leave a great legacy and work with others. He seemed happy and fresh and appreciated. Punk wanted to put a spotlight on new talent, work with others to change their careers, and wanted to let people believe. Anyone can wrestle and put in a great promo. But when you actually mean it, it’s evident.
That’s what I’ve seen in the people who absolutely love this sport. From Mercedes Moné to Jon Moxley to Bryan Danielson to Kenny Omega, the passion is there and it is undeniable in its greatness. It requires those with high power. And with great Powerade, there must also come great Responsibilityade. The responsibility is one that not only leaves fans connected, but future fans able to discover how great professional wrestling is when the art is fueled by the fire of determination.
While some can act as though he openly advocated for genocide and war crimes, he is not the devil he’s made out to be. He doesn’t really owe us an explanation or an apology, rather he owes the locker room the chance to be better. Vocally, he can apologize all he wants, but at the end of the day, he has to eat his own words. His apology should be louder than the disrespect.
Apologies don’t always have to be spoken by word of mouth; sometimes through actions and consistency, this rectification can speak just as loudly as looking someone in the eyes and saying “I’m wrong”. So, stay being there for the talent to learn from, stay putting on great matches, but if you’re reading this, Punk (you’re probably not, I’m just some schmuck), be open to take a moment to think and look inward when you’re at your angriest and bitterest. Reflect, and work on improving that emotional intelligence.
I look for the best in people, to my detriment sometimes, but I so dearly hope I’m right about Punk. I don’t know the guy, but I want to believe that, despite his flaws, Punk is still the guy I grew up watching. But that’s the thing – at the end of the day, I – no, we don’t know Phillip Brooks just as we don’t know The Elite, Chris Jericho, The Blackpool Combat Club, and most sadly of all, Jeff Jarrett, the glue of the wrestling world.
We don’t know what they want, what they really want. What they’re okay with. Either they’re shooting with us or working us and had the community riled up as though the people involved in the All Out shenanigans were abusers, bigots, or murderers. We should not be fighting over grown men who can wipe their own asses and pay their own taxes. Just sit back, watch the graps, have fun, and hope for the best.
What happens is what the horizon of events dictates it to be. Whether it’s a shooty-shoot or a worky-work, we are not backstage. We are just silly billies that love this thing of ours.
So, should this be Punk’s last dance, let it not be one of wasted opportunity. Let the song be as loud as the story.
