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CM Punk lost his AEW World Championship unification match to Jon Moxley in arguably one of the biggest upsets in Dynamite and pro wrestling history.
The Purveyor of Violence squashed The Second City Saint in under five minutes, leaving wrestling fans astounded last night. Moxley also ended his winless drought against Punk in the singles competition in a decisive manner.
With the Blackpool Combat Club member punching his ticket to the main event of All Out this year, fans are pondering what's next for The Straight Edge Superstar. His shocking loss ensued in the wake of rampant rumors of his real-life heat with Hangman Page causing unrest in the locker room.
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While there's no word on what affected the company's booking decision, Punk has become the talk of the wrestling world as of late. With AEW All Out right around the corner, the uncertainty over The Straight Edge Superstar's imminent future is looming large.
On that note, let's dive into five potential directions for CM Punk's future following his crushing loss at the hands of Jon Moxley this week.
#5. CM Punk takes an indefinite hiatus from AEW
Wrestling fans were left baffled after CM Punk delivered a Roundhouse Kick to Jon Moxley with his right foot but surprisingly sold his surgically-repaired left foot. AEW commentator TAZ even uttered, "Did Punk come back too soon?" following the match.
The broadcast team appeared to have sold the 43-year-old re-injuring his left foot (in kayfabe). But one shouldn't rule out the possibility that The Second City Saint was not 100% heading into the title unification bout.
Punk's move might have reaggravated his injury for real, which could explain the premature match finish.
If that's the case, the company made the right call by taking the AEW World Championship off him and unifying the title in a well-deserved crowning moment for Moxley in front of his home state of Ohio.
As for CM Punk, he could immediately take an indefinite hiatus to recuperate from his injury.
#4. CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley II at AEW All Out
There's currently no word on CM Punk's injury status (real or work) following a travesty in the eyes of many fans on Dynamite.
However, Dave Meltzer recently reported that the current plan for the All Out main event is still CM Punk vs. Jon Moxley for the coveted prize:
"We’ve only got just over a week [until All Out], but it is Punk and Moxley. I don’t know if they’re gonna add stips or whatever, but that is the main event.”
The wrestling journalist added:
“[Punk’s] gonna be back in 10 days. Look, he’ll go in there selling the foot...the rematch is in Chicago. Punk’s gonna be cheered like crazy. Punk can play the babyface with the bad foot...and they can work a great match with that handicap.”
It is hard to imagine AEW heading for a pay-per-view in Chicago without the hometown hero, who has just returned from a scary foot injury. Moxley squashing Punk could merely be an angle to lure significant eyeballs to the feud in a short time, leading to a mega rematch at the All Out pay-per-view.
From a storyline perspective, it makes sense for The Straight Edge Superstar to evoke his rematch clause (if he's fully fit) on September 4.
#3. Tony Khan puts CM Punk on the back burner for making it personal with Hangman Page on live television
CM Punk reportedly "went into business for himself" when he went off script to call out Hangman Page on AEW Dynamite last week.
Tony Khan confirmed the real-life heat between the two stars by citing "unresolved" anger that hasn't been tied up since Double or Nothing this year. The alleged beef has caused unrest in the locker room lately, with fellow stars spilling on the issue.
Is The Voice of the Voiceless responsible for making the locker room reach its boiling point? Tony Khan recently sat down with Punk backstage and has held several meetings with his company's talent.
Mr. Khan might have just sent a stern message to the entire locker room by punishing the Chicago native.
Does the squash match imply that Punk faced ramifications for his actions on live television last week? If so, the company may put The Straight Edge Superstar on the back burner for a while.
#2. CM Punk embraces a full-blown heel turn
Believe it or not, CM Punk has planted seeds for a potential heel turn since returning at the Quake By The Lake episode of AEW Dynamite a few weeks ago. His notorious call-out of beloved babyface Hangman Page screamed an imminent character change last week.
Punk was in disbelief at the end of his match last night, and his facial expression said it all.
He might have felt betrayed by fans going into a frenzy after Moxley's triumphant victory, as many didn't seem to care about him when he left the arena dead on his feet.
Though the former AEW World Champion recently clarified that he wouldn't turn on fans in AEW, the move doesn't seem to be off the charts now.
The company could pull off a shocking swerve by making CM Punk cheat to dethrone Jon Moxley at All Out this year. It will be one of the biggest heel turns in AEW history, with fans roaring to close out the pay-per-view.
#1. CM Punk quietly leaves AEW; Is WWE return in the cards?
The Straight Edge Superstar has been rumored to be "unhappy" with the company, with a recent report implying that there were fears he would no-show Dynamite last week.
Fightful Select learned that while Punk is unlikely to quit AEW, one veteran claimed that "threats have been levied" by the former WWE Superstar. It is unknown whether there is any truth to this theory, but what if there is?
Well then, fans might have witnessed the end of CM Punk in AEW.
With WWE making overtures to an anonymous AEW wrestler for a return, could The Straight Edge Superstar make a shocking switch like Cody Rhodes did?
The idea may seem like a cold day in hell, especially considering Punk's relationship with the McMahon family from back in the day. But Triple H has been on a signing spree since taking over the reins, and who knows? Maybe he and Punk have buried the hatchet.
CM Punk's stunning loss has left fans with more questions than answers, and it's hard to predict anything about his future. Wrestling fans will have to tune into Dynamite next week to see the latest developments in this unfolding saga.
