CM Punk on who he sees as the Connor Bedard of the AEW locker room

Punk identifies the future of AEW

For the first time in their careers, CM Punk and Samoa Joe will wrestle on pay-per-view in a venue that is fitting for the magnitude of their feud, as they meet at London’s famed Wembley Stadium at All In.

The story between Punk and Joe dates back two decades to Ring of Honor. In their first six singles bouts from 2003-2005, one of which took place for famed indie PWG and another for FWA, Punk was winless in every attempt. Joe was simply a force Punk could not overcome, and the two then parted ways for the majority of their professional careers.

The feud resumed in AEW, and Punk’s winless streak against his longtime rival ended last month. He finally defeated Joe in a match that aired on Collision. The two even shook hands after the match, but the moment was short-lived as Joe proceeded to beatdown Punk.

Their feud now takes center stage at All In, where more than 80,000 people are expected to be in attendance. It could finally serve as the bookend to their career-altering work together, making Wembley Stadium a perfect host for the match.

As Punk fans know, he is a devoted Chicago Blackhawks fan. After a difficult season, the Blackhawks have renewed optimism. The team had the top pick of this year’s NHL draft, and selected 18-year-old phenom Connor Bedard–who has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for the next decade-and-a-half.

Punk was asked who the Connor Bedard of the AEW locker room is, and he chose a wrestler that continues to show new layers.

“It’s Darby Allin,” says Punk. “He’s still fairly young, and he always makes chicken salad out of chicken sh--.”

When Punk left WWE in January of 2014, he did not wrestle again until September of 2021. That match, which took place at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, was against Allin. Ever since, the two have held one another in high regard.

Allin will team with Sting at All In, wrestling the Mogul Embassy’s AR Fox and Swerve Strickland in a Tag Team Coffin match. While Allin is a dozen years older than Bedard, Punk’s message is clear: Allin is a key part of AEW’s future.

“He’s got that ‘It Factor’, and he’s really getting comfortable,” says Punk. “We had a whole big promo segment a few weeks ago [on Collision], and I thought he shined. That made me super proud.

“He has a ton to offer, as long as he doesn’t kill himself jumping over his house in a f------ monster truck or something like that.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.