CM Punk Talks Future AEW Championship Opponents
Moments after capturing the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing, CM Punk was already looking ahead.
When asked about future opponents at the post-show media scrum, Punk's mind first went to the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. The crossover pay-per-view will be presented by both All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling on June 26th, opening up the possibility of a number of dream matches being added to the card. The Second City Saint, still full of emotion following his main event victory over "Hangman" Adam Page, lifted the lid on some potential bouts he could have at the event at the United Center in his hometown of Chicago.
"I think [Kazuchika] Okada, [Hiroshi] Tanahashi, [Will] Ospreay, guys like that I'm looking forward to stepping into the ring with," Punk said. "AEW talent — I always think number one with a bullet is going to be Bryan Danielson. I've never wrestled Jon Moxley — I've wrestled Dean Ambrose, so that's an interesting match up. There's still guys on my list that I've never wrestled with, Jungle Boy, Ricky Starks. I could probably finish out my career wrestling FTR every day for the rest of my life, and it could be different and fun every single time. Will Hobbs is another guy that I think has all the potential in the world.
"We've got a really stacked roster. It's almost a crime that we can't do everybody justice at once, but I think we're getting there with baby steps. I think we're learning. I think we make mistakes, but instead of dwelling on it and punishing other people or ourselves, I think we move on and try to learn from things. But Bryan Danielson will probably be the first guy that comes to mind. Very selfishly, I'd love to wrestle him."
Punk's victory last night marked the first time he had won a major title in pro wrestling since losing the WWE Championship to the Rock at the Royal Rumble in January 2013, ending a 434-day reign with the gold. Punk walked away from WWE the following year and took a lengthy sabbatical from the business. He eventually stunned the world by signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2021, making his official debut on AEW "Rampage" on August 20, in front of his hometown fans in Chicago.
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