5 reasons why CM Punk has been AEW's best signing of 2021

#1 CM Punk's signing proves that AEW can be a viable alternative for wrestlers

AEW has gained so much from CM Punk's signing but the most important signal it sent was that now the company is able to attract proper top-level talent. It's not just Punk.

AEW has managed to lure a number of main-event stars from WWE including Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole. But Punk was a rare capture, an acquisition many fans thought will legitimize AEW as a viable company for wrestlers to thrive in. And so it has been proven. AEW EVP Cody Rhodes reflected on Punk joining the company in an interview with Sports Illustrated:

“We’re essentially at the three-year point of AEW, and our stability is the tell-tale sign that our vision was the proper vision,” Cody Rhodes said. “We have such a stable company that Bryan Danielson decided to cross that line, that CM Punk decided to join after seven years away, that Adam Cole, who was being groomed to be a massive star in WWE, decided to cross the line. And that’s not a knock on them, it just shows that we have built a very stable infrastructure.”

Punk also spoke with great pride about his time with AEW and his Rampage debut:

“Over the last seven years? I’ll take it back further, honestly. I was discussing this with a couple of my friends and that might have been the greatest moment, the greatest night of my career,” revealed Punk.

WWE is no longer the only game in town. Beyond the stability that AEW provides, the company is also offering compelling arguments for wrestlers who want to succeed in the business outside of WWE. With the Owen Hart Cup on its way, a new title for women in the TBS championship plus a secure television deal with WarnerMedia, AEW is here to stay. Punk's signing just further cements this.