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#1 CM Punk choosing AEW over WWE
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CM Punk finally returning to wrestling was always going to be huge. However, it might have been elevated by the company that he is returning to. For so many years, many fans have always said "they always come back to WWE". From Bret Hart to the Ultimate Warrior, Vince McMahon has had a public dissension with legends who have made their way back to the industry giant.
CM Punk always felt different from all these other legends though. His principles are something that is apart of his character. His straight edge lifestyle shows the will power and attitude that has become synonymous with who he is. Punk has stood for what he believes in throughout his career and life.
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When CM Punk took the role of analyst on WWE Backstage, many fans thought his WWE return was imminent. Punk even admitted on the AEW Rampage - The First Dance post show scrum that this was him dipping his toe in the water. The former WWE Champion "blamed" Renee Paquette for convincing him to take on the role and leading to his wrestling return.
AEW has been viewed as the alternative to WWE since its inception. Tony Khan is a businessman, but he is also a professional wrestling fan who has never been shy in admitting that. His love for the business shines in the way All Elite Wrestling tells their stories and treats their talent.
The company has been viewed as anti-establishment for its place in competition with WWE and how different they are to them. Anti-establishment and anti-authority is what CM Punk has become known for throughout his wrestling career. It was these traits that made the fans rally behind him and want to watch him succeed.
When asked why he chose AEW over WWE during the post show scrum, CM Punk said, "I knew that if I died or got hurt (in the WWE), no one would care. With AEW, it reminded me of places I used to love, where it's about the spirit of the thing... AEW doesn't feel like a house, it feels like a home." It screams out a man who feels way more comfortable here than he ever did in WWE.
There could be numerous other reasons why this moment will stand the test of times. Punk's popularity was hard to achieve during the time it reached its heights and the fact that it stayed there long after he was gone is amazing. It took going Hollywood and leaving for a year for CM Punk's greatest WWE rival, John Cena, to get the universal love that Punk always had.
Choosing an alternative to WWE speaks volumes to who he has always been and how they helped bring his love back for the business. WWE took his passion, while AEW helped him find it again. That's why CM Punk choosing AEW over WWE has to be the biggest reason why his pro wrestling return may be the greatest of all time.
