Legend says AEW's future may not be "good" with CM Punk and Jade Cargill joining WWE

At the beginning of this year, CM Punk and Jade Cargill were among AEW's top echelon of talent. As 2023 draws close, both find themselves under contract with WWE. One wrestling legend thinks that the two jumping ship may have lasting consequences for All Elite Wrestling.

The legend in question is WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash. The nWo co-founder knows a thing or two about the effects of top talent signing with rival promotions, as he himself famously jumped ship to WCW ahead of the fabled Monday Night Wars in the late '90s.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash discussed the impact of top wrestling stars jumping ship in the modern era:

"[Chris] Jericho was the first major star to sign with AEW," Nash said. "He said actually they have far [exceeded their initial expectations] at this point."

Nash pointed out that AEW has had plenty of success as an alternative to WWE, but now that Triple H is in charge, he believes the Stamford-based company has all the momentum – especially after snagging two more of AEW's top stars:

"[WWE is] back on bedrock again," Nash continued. "The shows are really solid, but you look at it for five years, and there were some points where [AEW] made some runs. ... By losing Jade and losing [CM Punk], it's not gonna [be good]." [h/t WrestlingInc]

---

AEW's Danhausen wishes CM Punk a happy birthday in a hilarious Instagram post

CM Punk's exit from AEW could graciously be called a disaster. Despite being one of the company's top draws, The Second City Saint was fired by Tony Khan on September 2, 2023, after being involved in two backstage altercations in less than a year.

Despite his acrimonious exit, Punk maintains several friends in AEW, one of whom is popular comedy wrestler Danhausen. The face-painted star took to Instagram today to wish CM Punk a happy birthday, despite Punk's actual birthday being October 26.

Danhausen shared a humorous post by Pepsi, which is celebrating its 125th birthday as a brand this year. The AEW star seems to have misinterpreted the original post and thought it was actually Punk's 125th birthday:

Danhausen wishes his friend a happy birthday on Instagram

Danhausen has a solid friendship with Punk, and the two are known to joke with each other on social media.

---

Do you think the departures of CM Punk and Jade Cargill will have far-reaching consequences for AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!