CM Punk is officially no longer with AEW, but in the two years he spent in the promotion, he certainly made a lot of memories - both good and bad. One thing that he did prove was that he was still in contention for being the “best in the world” inside the ring. He brought more maturity, psychology, and storytelling to his work, and it led to some memorable matches.
Over the last two years he had several standout bouts, some of which were better than others. There are a fair few to choose from when selecting his 10 greatest matches in the promotion, though it will still likely be objective and down to individual taste.
10 CM Punk Vs. Satoshi Kojima, Forbidden Door 2023
CM Punk had firmly shook off any ring-rust from a near year-long spell away from competition by the time his first singles match since returning rolled around.
This match with Satoshi Kojima at Forbidden Door was a wonderful display of Punk’s ability to control an audience, heeling it up against his experienced opponent as the pair took chunks out of one another with a hard-hitting battle in the Owen Hart Tournament.
9 CM Punk, FTR, & Ricky Starks Vs. Bullet Club Gold, Collision 6/24/2023
One of AEW Collision’s early main events saw a big multi-man main event which stole the show. Having an eight-man tag team match can sometimes mean for a messy bout, this was a controlled chaos that ran like clockwork.
Punk was a standout here, especially with a visceral response from the crowd, but Ricky Starks was also given a lot of time to shine in too. It was a very fun match and it stretched on for well over 20 minutes, but all involved helped it to tick along well.
8 CM Punk Vs. Dax Harwood, Dynamite 3/23/2022
These two in-ring technicians brought their best to his old-school style of singles match on AEW Dynamite. The pair had several fluid and smooth exchanges, and for fans of pure in-ring work, you couldn’t take your eyes off this one.
Due to a lack of stakes this didn’t reach a higher level, but overall it was a wonderfully wrestled match and is certainly up there with Punk’s best in AEW. The finishing sequence with Punk countering a sharpshooter into an anaconda vice was a great way to close out this one.
7 CM Punk Vs. Samoa Joe, All In 2023
Whilst it was some steps down from their classics in Ring of Honor, CM Punk and Samoa opened AEW’s biggest show of all time in a great way. It was an entertaining match with a hot crowd, with Joe and Punk bringing physicality to the table, showcasing their unteachable chemistry.
Unless he somehow makes a comeback in the future, this is CM Punk’s last ever match in AEW, and he couldn’t have hoped to have signed off in a better way.
6 CM Punk & Jon Moxley Vs. FTR, Dynamite 2/9/2022
This tag team match on AEW Dynamite is one of the more underrated matches of CM Punk’s time in AEW. He teamed up with Jon Moxley to take on FTR in an impromptu match, and it was fantastic.
There were table spots, brawling in the crowd, world class tag team psychology, and star power through the brim. Even with some slightly sloppy moments, this was a great tag team battle involving four class participants.
5 CM Punk, Sting, & Darby Allin Vs. FTR & MJF, Dynamite: Holiday Bash 12/22/2021
This was an all-star AEW Dynamite main event and it was up there with the most fun matches of CM Punk’s run in AEW. Seeing Sting and CM Punk team up was surreal, and it led to the match having a special buzz.
It was a long match which went through several twists and turns, and the whole story of MJF trying to duck and dodge Punk was very entertaining. This will go down as one of the most memorable matches of Punk’s time in AEW for sure.
4 Jon Moxley Vs. CM Punk, All Out 2022
Due to the incidents and controversy following the All Out 2022 PPV event, in which CM Punk’s media scrum outburst and brawl with The Elite stole all the headlines, it overshadowed what was one of CM Punk’s best matches in AEW.
The main event between CM Punk and Jon Moxley was a violent and hard-hitting war, and it more than made up for a weak build. The false finish near the start of the match was a great way to kick things off, and the pair had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Moxley’s heelish nature was wonderfully done, and it allowed Punk to fight from below as a valiant babyface, fighting through the pain of his injured foot.
3 CM Punk Vs. MJF, Dynamite 2/2/2022
For nearly 40 minutes, CM Punk and MJF tore the house down in front of an electric Chicago crowd. Time flew by due to world class storytelling, with MJF playing the conniving and cheating heel and CM Punk going on the offensive as a fearless hometown hero.
Punk’s selling of his arm and leg were great, and MJF’s psychology targeting Punk’s limbs was world class. The false finish followed up by MJF winning for a second time in one match was a massive shock too. This is up there with the best Dynamite main events ever.
2 CM Punk Vs. Eddie Kingston, Full Gear 2021
In contrast to many of Punk’s other AEW matches, this bout against Eddie Kingston was wrestled at an electric pace. Out of the blocks, these two men clashed in a hectic brawl that felt like an authentic fight.
The pure hatred between these two men was felt strongly as they waged battle on one another. This may have been just 11 minutes long, but they fit in a whole lot into that time, and it was certainly some of Punk’s best work ever.
1 CM Punk Vs. MJF, Revolution 2022
CM Punk’s best match in AEW was his Dog Collar match against MJF at Revolution, completing what was arguably the greatest storyline in AEW history. It was a brutal, bloody, and violent match which lived up to very lofty expectations.
From the entrances to the opening bell, this had a big fight feel, and whilst it didn’t have an electric pace, it still felt like a real war with the two men trying to kill one another. It did multiple jobs, giving CM Punk a big win and also bringing about a Wardlow babyface turn.
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