CM Punk believes that the impact names like himself, Daniel Bryan, and Adam Cole have created by moving to AEW is bigger than when several top WWE Superstars moved over to WCW in the 90s.
Undoubtedly, the ending of AEW All Out 2021 which saw both Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson, formerly Daniel Bryan, make their debuts in AEW is a moment that will live on in the minds of everyone that watched the show. combined with the return to the ring of CM Punk, there are many that feel like All Out 2021 signified the beginning of a new era.
From the moment that it was rumored that CM Punk and Daniel Bryan would be coming to All Elite Wrestling, there were immediate parallels drawn by some fans to the 90s when major names like Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, and Randy Savage moved over to WCW and kick-started a boom period for the industry that is still talked about lovingly today.
Speaking about these comparisons on a post-show media scrum after the pay-per-view, CM Punk would say that this situation is totally different but to him, this feels like it is bigger than what happened 25 years ago.
“Gosh, obviously, I think it's going to be very impactful. I'm not personally in the business of war. I know who competition is and who competition isn't. To me, we focus on ourselves. We focus on the talent we have and we focus on the people in the building. I think that's how we grow. It's not about throwing stones. I know TNT loves ratings. I know everybody's gonna look at stuff and compare the two. For a company that's only been around for two years. I think they're doing great and if you're competing with somebody on another night, that's got a 30-year headstart. Well, that's fine. But to me, our competition is our audience, and as long as we keep them engaged, and keep them happy, and I think that to bring it back around, that's what we're doing. So I'm not Hogan, I'm not Savage, you know, Daniel, Bryan and Adam Cole, they're not The Outsiders. I see the parallels, but this is totally different and I'll go ahead and say it and people can quote me and they'll be pissed off about it. To me, this is bigger.”
Catch up with our live coverage of AEW All Out 2021and make sure to check out our review podcast after the event went off the air.
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