3 Reasons why CM Punk's AEW run has been a disappointment and 2 it hasn't

CM Punk has been back in professional wrestling for over two months now. The destination of his choice was AEW and not WWE. In hindsight, even Punk admitted that WWE was never an option.

CM Punk didn't leave WWE on good terms, and his opinion of the product wasn't that positive either. Ultimately, AEW has turned out to be a far better fit for him, and it's unlikely that he would have been happy being back in WWE.

For CM Punk, it's all about reinvigorating his passion for wrestling and not sports entertainment. Ultimately, a lot of this doesn't matter because Punk is rightfully and deservedly happy at AEW.

We will also acknowledge that CM Punk is a needle mover. Tony Khan has openly admitted how much of a difference having him and Bryan Danielson has made, with various numbers shooting up -- from ratings to merchandise sales.

However, being the devil's advocate, we'd like to point out three ways that CM Punk's AEW run has disappointed so far and two ways it hasn't:

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#3. Has disappointed: CM Punk's matches haven't been all that great yet

Admittedly, this might be a criticism that we take back within weeks, a month, or possibly even sooner. So far, CM Punk has gone through four opponents - Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, and Matt Sydal.

As much as people would like to tell themselves that the Darby Allin match at ALL OUT was good, it was average at best. It's hard to instantly criticize Punk for that because it was, after all, his first match in close to eight years.

The ring rust kicked in, and he had two more average matches on Rampage against Powerhouse Hobbs and Daniel Garcia -- both of whom he beat. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), it was his latest bout against Matt Sydal that delivered in a big way.

If anything, it should highlight how good and underrated Matt Sydal is as an in-ring performer. Punk is slowly getting back into rhythm, but no credit should be taken away from Sydal.

While it may come across as too harsh, CM Punk's matches in AEW haven't been that great so far. The Matt Sydal match was good because it was a big improvement for him, but as of now, there's a long way to go for him to get back into his in-ring shape.

Perhaps it's even unfair of us to expect the old CM Punk to have the same in-ring prowess nearly eight years after his last bout with WWE. However, it's something that we can see improving.

When looking at the likes of AJ Styles, what he did over the years was to simply adjust his in-ring style according to his age, and fans hardly seemed to notice.

#2. Hasn't disappointed: CM Punk is easing his way back in

Although many compared the debuts of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, the circumstances were largely different. Danielson himself said that while Punk is finding his footing and trying to prove himself, The American Dragon knows he is one of the best in the world.

Danielson hasn't taken a long sabbatical from wrestling, and during Punk's sabbatical, he had his own retirement and in-ring return. After coming back, Danielson proved why he was still one of the best in the world, and his heel turn and WWE title run on SmackDown served as proof.

CM Punk is wise and he knows that he isn't going to be able to shoot himself right into the main event scene the way Bryan Danielson has. Many would argue that Punk's route of slowly easing himself back into wrestling is a far wiser option that going head-to-head with the likes of Kenny Omega, who has been a top-5 wrestler in the world for many years now.

#2. Has disappointed: The aura of CM Punk's return will continue to fade

Even on his second week in AEW, CM Punk was the first to admit that he's aware that the aura of his return will eventually die down. While fans booed the idea, Punk was right and there's no beating around the bush.

The magic of his initial return has already faded, although his match on Rampage against Matt Sydal may have been a needle mover as AEW's second show beat SmackDown head-to-head.

However, one has to question just how big a draw CM Punk is in the long run. For years, fans clamored for his return, and the circumstances of his departure from wrestling made fans hungry to see The Second City Saint once again.

That craving has now been fulfilled, and we will see how CM Punk does in terms of drawing and keeping viewers in. One major advantage that WWE has is that there's an arsenal of part-timers such as John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Goldberg, who are proven draws.

AEW doesn't have that same advantage, and if the aura of CM Punk's return continues to fade at this rate, it might cause problems.

#1. Hasn't disappointed: CM Punk is elevating younger stars immediately

Perhaps the best thing that CM Punk has done since his arrival to AEW is the instant elevation of young talent. The first Superstar's name he used was homegrown talent, Darby Allin.

By simply sharing the ring with Allin at ALL OUT, he elevated the young star to a whole new level. While Allin was always considered among the 2-3 hottest homegrown talents of AEW, associating with CM Punk in his first match back did wonders for his popularity.

Although the young talent that CM Punk has faced all lost to him, a win over the legend wasn't needed. Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Daniel Garcia all benefited from sharing the ring with him.

Matt Sydal isn't a young talent anymore, but he also benefited from his match against CM Punk at Rampage. Not only is Punk easing himself into AEW and wrestling again, but he's helping elevate younger talent in the process. It's hard to find any criticism with that whatsoever.

#1. Has disappointed: CM Punk may not belong with the top dogs of AEW

This is a harsh reality that many AEW fans may not like to hear - CM Punk may not belong with the top dogs. AEW's main event roster is being increasingly stacked every year. The likes of Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Adam Hangman Page, Jon Moxley, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, and Cody Rhodes make up AEW's main event scene.

This isn't even accounting for the fact that names like Ricky Starks and Darby Allin are expected to be big stars in the future. CM Punk may never slot into the AEW main event scene, although we feel that him challenging for the world title at some point in the coming year is inevitable.

It's going to be a sink or swim moment for CM Punk when he goes up against AEW's best, and he hasn't shown any signs of being able to -- which is what has been disappointing in his run so far.

Hopefully, CM Punk proves us wrong and is able to hang with the best. Either way, his run in the main event scene may not last very long with other talent to prioritize.