CM Punk needs to face 4-time WWE Champion after 11 years if he returns to the ring

Fans are eagerly anticipating the AEW return of CM Punk which, despite a lot of hiccups and setbacks, looks closer than ever. But when he eventually gets back in the ring, he needs to face a man he hasn't wrestled in 11 years.

The man in question is Bryan Danielson, who hasn't wrestled since his Iron Man Match with MJF at Revolution, but he has been keeping active by helping the Blackpool Combat Club become one of the biggest heel factions in wrestling today.

Danielson and Punk last crossed paths during their time in WWE in 2013 when they both competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match. But their last one-on-one encounter came in 2012, and a lot has changed since then.

Upon leaving WWE in 2021, Danielson reverted back to his "American Dragon" persona and started putting on classic matches with everyone he worked with, which, thanks to his years of experience, has made his work better than ever.

As for Punk, he found his groove again when he joined AEW in 2021, working with a lot of younger talent but still managing to churn out great stories each and every week. So the fact that he has yet to cross paths with Bryan again is a true shame.

Punk has always claimed that he is the "Best in the World," while Danielson has stated that he's the best wrestler on the planet. But only one of them can be right, and since they've crossed paths in both ROH and WWE, coming full circle in AEW would be the cherry on top of this legendary feud.

Is CM Punk actually coming back to AEW?

It's a question that has been asked more than most over the past nine months, and despite many believing that a return to AEW is still on the cards for CM Punk, the answer is still up in the air.

At the Warner Brothers Discovery Upfront event in New York, it was announced that AEW Collision would be debuting on TNT on June 17, a show that has been rumored to have Punk as the main attraction.

However, recent reports have claimed that Punk and AEW are once again at odds with each other due to the Straight Edge Superstar wanting Ace Steel to be re-hired, despite his controversial actions after the All Out pay-per-view in September 2022.

CM Punk wasn't featured on any of Collision's promotional material, nor the rumored venue of the United Center in Chicago not being revealed on the most recent episode of Dynamite, leaving many to wonder if plans must be changed.

Will CM Punk return to AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!