It was an incredible weekend for professional wrestling. But even though WWE SummerSlam saw the returns of both Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar, it was still CM Punk’s AEW debut that stole the show.
And in the process, he officially made that promotion a thing. I don’t mean to disrespect the fans who were already following All Elite, however, the buzz around Punk showing up was a pop culture crossover moment. The kind we’ll look back on if AEW can really take off and become a legitimate alternative, if not direct competition, to WWE long-term.
Punk is perfect for them, because even in his heyday working for Vince McMahon, he appealed to the fans that liked to be taken behind the scenes. The same ones who were probably already likely to be championing AEW and putting it on their television screens.
So when you combine that hardcore base with the casual curiosity that came given the attention Punk’s return to wrestling garnered, with the amount of time he spent away after leaving before his career really peaked...you have the recipe for a pipe bomb of interest.
Since Vince bought WCW there’s really only been one option and no true opposition. Now there’s a reason for WWE to be at their best, even if they’ll never be anything quite like the Monday Night Wars again. There's at least now something approaching quickly in the rearview mirror.
Because CM Punk and AEW just put some oxygen, or let’s say Nitro, back into professional wrestling.
