CM Punk and AEW have mostly been at loggerheads after their paths crossed in 2021. These issues stemmed from Punk’s qualms with the Young Bucks to engaging in a backstage scuffle with Jack Perry during All In 2023. That ultimately led to an uneventful end of his tumultuous stint at Tony Khan’s business, leaving him open for a WWE comeback. Yet, the discussion about his bittersweet impact on AEW is still on among the IWC.

Punk joined the realm of AEW back in 2021. The Chicago-based star’s arrival at the Florida-based promotion emerged as a major coup back then. However, the tune quickly changed by 2023. CM Punk’s overt attitude and his knack for trash talks against bigwigs like Adam Page, Jon Moxley, and The Young Bucks brought a lot of negativity into the promotion during his tenure.

It contradicted the popular culture of hyping the company one works for. There are also some splendid developments Punk brought to Khan’s table, such as launching AEW Collision, attracting a lot of fresh eyeballs to the business, triggering business growth, and many more. However, if his impact has to be measured, then Punk’s negativity stands tall compared to his contributions.

At least that’s what a chunk of wrestling fans believe. During a recent appearance in the WWE Performance Center, the Second City Saint was seen having a jolly time with Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez.  At that moment, the NXT ‘daughters’ jokingly asked him what the great depression felt like alluding to his disastrous AEW spell. A dejected Punk muttered, “it was fine.” Understandably, the WWE star doesn’t even want to give his former employers the time of the day after their consistent jabs aiming to sully his name.

As soon as the clip went, viral fans connected it to his below-average AEW run with a few hilarious statements.

Wrestling fans slam CM Punk for being of no use to AEW

Although it seems CM Punk has been the toughest man alive on the planet, he suffered a legitimate mental health issue in the past. The former AEW star once revealed during a time in his career, he got to choose between two things: One is letting depression get the better of him and his career or moving forward with the lesson.

Thankfully, he did the second… Nevertheless, some fans thought that the NXT stars were asking Punk about his personal battle with mental health when that was not the case, as explained by some members of the wrestling community.

Apart from the unchecked controversy, Punk has mostly been engulfed with injury issues throughout his AEW tenure, leading to very little growth in his personal life and for the collective benefit. While injuries cannot be controlled and are an unavoidable part of the business, the way it hampers the company’s plan regarding him led to a stagnancy. Fans can’t help bashing him for that to date.

This fan flipped the script as he suggested that watching the former WWE champion during his time in AEW emerged as a form of depression for them.

Another fan posed a question along the same lines as they suggested that they were the ones who were tormented with Punk being the tormentor due to his lackluster run in AEW.

Nevertheless, Punk has opted to return to familiar territory as he aims to relieve himself of the stink that followed him from AEW. He is making good on his desires as he is involved in a scintillating rivalry with Drew McIntyre despite not wrestling much. What’s your take on CM Punk being blamed for his stint in AEW by fans online? Let us know in the comments.