Chris Jericho Admits He Wanted To Face CM Punk In AEW

When CM Punk returned to professional wrestling in 2021, he was greeted with the chance to wrestle a number of fresh faces, while also reconnecting with some more familiar ones as well. Unfortunately, Punk faced a few significant setbacks along the way, including a nine-month absence from AEW programming. Punk eventually returned to television in June 2023 to help lead the newly-minted "AEW Collision" product. Three months later, though, he was officially terminated from the company.

With AEW now in Punk's rearview mirror, several fans have expressed a sense of disappointment, particularly for the fact that they will no longer have the possibility of seeing "The Second City Saint" compete against certain performers in the AEW locker room. On X (formerly Twitter), one user noted that they specifically wanted to see Punk locked up with Chris Jericho under the AEW banner.

"I did too..." Jericho wrote in response.

Jericho and Punk, of course, both have ties to WWE, where they worked together on nearly 100 occasions. The two also share similarities in their monikers, with Punk dubbed "The Best In The World," while Jericho hails himself as "The Best In The World At What I Do." Despite their lengthy history together in WWE and mutual goal of achieving excellence, the two never had the opportunity to square off in AEW.

Following his exit from AEW in September, Punk made his way back to WWE, beginning with a surprise appearance at the 2023 WWE Survivor Series: WarGames event, which was held in his hometown of Chicago.