What CM Punk & Bryan Danielson's Jump To AEW Could Mean

So the wrestling world has been a buzz lately, especially this week.  Reports came out from the great people over at Fightful that CM Punk has been imminently talking to All Elite Wrestling about a return to wrestling.  This turned the internet upside down in a big way and I don't think it's hard to figure out why.  CM Punk is to many the catalyst of the renaissance of wrestling in the early years of the 2010's.  He made people who put wrestling behind them, care again, and when he left in early 2014 those same people put wrestling behind them once more.

Then seemingly right after this another report this time by Bodyslam.net comes out stating that Bryan Danielson FKA as Daniel Bryan had signed a contract with AEW, and that he would be making his debut at the first ever AEW New York show taking place September 22nd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY.  This comes months after a report that WWE was trying to work out a working relationship with New Japan Wrestling, seemingly to keep Daniel Bryan from leaving.  That of course is speculation (not by me) but it certainly makes sense based on what we know about what Daniel Bryan was looking for.  Now there's no denying on the same level as CM Punk, Daniel Bryan became a household name because of fans.  He was basically the savior of wrestling fans when CM Punk left.

So I think it can easily be said that these two are at the top of the list of people who helped bring wrestling back in the last decade.  They got every single person interested in wrestling again.  Whether it was CM Punk's authority challenging promo style, or Daniel Bryan's heart for the business that is wrestling.  Fans flocked around these two people in particular, and when CM Punk walked out on wrestling as a whole in 2014, fans didn't want to accept it and arguably still haven't as there's been CM Punk chants by fans at WWE events whenever they don't agree what is happening in the ring.  One could argue that Daniel Bryan made them believe again or at least gave them something to get behind again.

So what would it mean if these report turn out to be true?  It would mean that Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, two of the biggest names of this and the last era of professional wrestling could bring in a ton of fans to AEW where they were lacking.  It's been known since day one, AEW is the wrestling fans promotion, the promotion for the hardcore fans that just love wrestling and go out of their way to engulf themselves in the world of wrestling, whether it's WWE or not.  Bryan Danielson and CM Punk could bring over the lapsed fan, those fans I mentioned who may have given up on wrestling when CM Punk left, or didn't cross over to AEW just because it was on national television.  That fan that WWE was all they known as "wrestling", the casual fan.  Bryan Danielson and CM Punk are at that level that AEW could see a spike in interest from people who don't even know what AEW is.

If this were to happen it's been compared to The Outsiders going to WCW in 1996, and honestly it could have that kind of effect, now sure not nearly as many fans are watching as they were back then but it could do for AEW what that did for WCW, get people interested.  Let's not forget also what this could mean for every wrestling federation who is partnered with AEW.  We have had all these wrestling promotions working together whether it be AEW wrestlers on Impact, Impact, and New Japan wrestlers on AEW, the possibilities of MLW and ROH getting involved, anyone who goes to AEW has the opportunity to work for these other promotions two and imagine a Bryan Danielson in a G1 for New Japan, imagine CM Punk returning to ROH and that being the thing to bring ROH back into the conversation.  There's all these possibilities with these partnerships and the wrestlers involved.

It's such a wonderful time to be a wrestling fan and if I could use this to reiterate my sentiments from previous writings, stop hating people for liking something else.  Just enjoy wrestling.  You're not wrong for watching WWE, you're not wrong for watching AEW, you're not wrong for watching New Japan, you're not wrong for watching MLW, the list goes on of how much wrestling there is out there for everyone to enjoy.  So if you're a WWE lifer don't hate people for liking AEW and vice versa, I'm saying it again, Just...Enjoy...Wrestling.  We all have this opportunity to be a part of something huge, and you don't have to choose a side to be apart of it.  This isn't a downside to one company and an upside for another its an opportunity for everyone to get better and be better at doing what they do and fans a like to enjoy it all together.  Because ultimately, that's what these big AEW signings could mean.