Is CM Punk Finally Challenging for the AEW World Championship?

CM Punk was victorious in an incredibly violent Dog Collar Match with MJF at Sunday’s Revolution pay-per-view, avenging the only loss he’s suffered since arriving in AEW last August. Punk is now 4-1 on the year and 13-1 since joining AEW and was asked during the post-show media scrum about possibly chasing for the AEW World Championship. The show closed with “Hangman” Adam Page successfully retaining the title against Adam Cole.

“I think so [I’ll challenge for the title], there’s people I want to wrestle here just for ‘wrasslin’ sake. But at some point you’ve got to… I don’t know how much time I have, I don’t know how many matches I have left. So if I’m not working my way towards a title shot, I’m not trying to be where Hangman is, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Punk said. “I think that is something that might happen. Keep your eyes on it.”

He also admitted that it’s harder to fight somebody that you don’t hate and that he has respect for “that Cowboy.” Punk then acknowledged the rankings, which didn’t have him in the top five in the most recent posting late last month, though that will obviously change following the events of Revolution. That top five consisted of Cole (whom Hangman just beat), Powerhouse Hobbs (who lost in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match), Lance Archer (who failed to beat Hangman in a Texas Death Match), Wardlow (who is lined up for a TNT Championship match at St. Patrick’s Day Slam) and Dante Martin (who recently lost to Hobbs and is now back in his Top Flight tag team with his returning brother Darius). 

Punk previously talked about challenging for AEW’s top prize last September in an interview with the New York Post, but said at the time that he wasn’t worthy of chasing after then-champion Kenny Omega given how he had just arrived.

“I’m kind of approaching it like I’m quasi-new guy, but old head coming back into this thing,” Punk said. “From an artistic storyline perspective, I can’t go after Kenny [Omega] right way. He’s the (world) champion. It wouldn’t make any sense. I never wrestled in this organization. Darby is a lot of things. He’s a fantastic talent, he’s a great personality. Within the AEW storytelling, he’s a very compelling character that the fans like. I just think he’s like the perfect foil right now. It’s a spotlight on, yes this CM Punk’s first match back in seven years. It needs to be a good match, right? I need a good dance partner. Darby is probably one of the best guys for the role, honestly.”