CM Punk recently gave an interview about how he wasted a couple of AEW bouts because they were considered “dream matches.”
But are they?
Let’s investigate.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION:
I will not count AEW champions like MJF, Adam Page, Jon Moxley, and Samoa Joe, and will just stick with one-on-one matches.
DARBY ALLIN
DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
EVENT: AEW ALL OUT
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 16 MINUTES 40 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TNT CHAMPIONSHIP – 28 DAYS (2ND OVERALL)
1-TIME TNT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – 25 DAYS (1ST – WITH STING)
DREAM MATCH: YES
Especially if AEW gives him their World Championship. When Punk first came to AEW, he wanted to work with the guys he had never worked with before. Allin is a classic example of a match he can only have in AEW. Allin is a combination of Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy but is the size of Spike Dudley. Most AEW signings are at least similar to his size so he's not that out of place. Also, the match they put up is good, with the right man winning and the right man giving the kid his due. In some ways, this match elevated Darby to the next level.
POWERHOUSE HOBBS
DATE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
EVENT: AEW RAMPAGE - GRAND SLAM
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 13 MINUTES 35 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TNT CHAMPIONSHIP – 42 DAYS (1ST OVERALL)
DREAM MATCH: NO
AEW saw Hobbs' potential, but they won't capitalize on it.
DANIEL GARCIA
DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2021
EVENT: AEW RAMPAGE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 14 MINUTES 5 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TNT CHAMPIONSHIP – CURRENT (FULL GEAR 2024)
DREAM MATCH: NO
But AEW is trying really hard to get him over. I mean, REALLY, REEAAAAAALLY trying hard to get him over.
MATT SYDAL
DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2021
EVENT: AEW RAMPAGE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 14 MINUTES 47 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
It has been a long while since he shot to fame as Evan Bourne. It pains me to say this but he was pretty much a nostalgia act when he got to AEW.
BOBBY FISH
DATE: OCTOBER 27, 2021
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 12 MINUTES 58 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
Yes, Fish had good matches in AEW at that point, but without the Undisputed Era faction, it felt like he was a mere name to showcase Punk. Besides, their off-ring beef is more memorable.
EDDIE KINGSTON
DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2021
EVENT: AEW FULL GEAR
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 11 MINUTES 07 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP – 81 DAYS (1ST OVERALL)
1-TIME ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – 198 DAYS (1ST OVERALL)
DREAM MATCH: YES
I mean, it should. This match featured two excellent veterans. WWE will never sign Eddie Kingston to a contract because of his build and age (especially at the time of this feud), and AEW will be the only place for this match.
QT MARSHALL
DATE: NOVEMBER 24, 2021
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE - THANKSGIVING EVE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 11 MINUTES 08 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
This was unnecessary because this was Punk's seventh match in two months. Punk's Wargames match on Survivor Series will be his seventh match in WWE after arriving in late 2023. And mind you, this also involves two Dominik Mysterio dark matches. This also happened on Thanksgiving and after the 11-minute match, Jon Moxley blindsides and bloodied Punk. Who asked Punk to battle QT Marshall is just insane.
LEE MORIARTY
DATE: DECEMBER 1, 2021
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 10 MINUTES 24 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME ROH PURE CHAMPION (CURRENT)
DREAM MATCH: NO
Moriarty's stock fell when AEW opened its doors to ex-WWE stars. He may be the ROH Pure Champion, but it has been a long time since we've seen him on AEW Dynamite.
WARDLOW
DATE: JANUARY 12, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 14 MINUTES 6 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
3-TIME TNT CHAMPIONSHIP – 198 DAYS COMBINED
DREAM MATCH: NO
AEW should have done something with Wardlow. It still bugs me that they couldn't give him the Batista run despite giving him the win against MJF and the TNT title win. The last time we saw Wardlow, he was Adam Cole's stooge. I think this could be a dream match if he moves to WWE, returns to his monster form, and battles CM Punk in what could be his retirement run. Other than that, Wardlow feels more of Tyson Tomko than The Animal.
SHAWN SPEARS
DATE: JANUARY 19, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 12 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
The match ended in 12 seconds, and it was only done to fuel the MJF feud. This is also the beginning of the end of Spears in AEW, as he would return to WWE a year later.
DAX HARWOOD
DATE: MARCH 23, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 12 MINUTES 51 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – 185 DAYS (2ND OVERALL - WITH CASH WHEELER)
DREAM MATCH: NO
I know both guys enjoyed working with each other, and in some ways, this match was part of the MJF feud where Punk lost for the first time and then got the win in AEW Revolution. But yeah, this match was a mere side feud meant to give Punk a somewhat loose stable of sorts.
MAX CASTER
DATE: MARCH 30, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 7 MINUTES 9 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – 140 DAYS (1ST OVERALL - WITH ANTHONY BOWENS)
DREAM MATCH: NO
The Acclaimed at this point are rising stars in AEW's tag team scene. A couple of months after the match, they won the AEW Tag Team Championship.
PENTA OSCURO
DATE: APRIL 13, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 13 MINUTES 38 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP – 126 DAYS (1ST OVERALL - WITH PAC AND REY FENIX)
DREAM MATCH: NO
I think this was the part of CM Punk's AEW career where he was getting fed with tag team wrestlers. This midcard wrestler diet resulted in nothing, but like The Acclaimed, Death Triangle won the Trios Championship a couple of months later.
DUSTIN RHODES
DATE: APRIL 20, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 17 MINUTES 26 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
Inasmuch as this was a match between two great ring tacticians, no one asked for this match, although we were delighted to see it.
JOHN SILVER
DATE: MAY 11, 2022
EVENT: AEW DYNAMITE
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 8 MINUTES 6 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE
DREAM MATCH: NO
This was Punk's third-shortest match in AEW. That said, I don't get why this match happened, and why was this an eight-minute match. This is not a knock on Silver, haha, but how many titles has he won, or has The Dark Order won since?
SATOSHI KOJIMA
DATE: JUNE 25, 2023
EVENT: AEW/NJPW FORBIDDEN DOOR
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 13 MINUTES 40 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
NONE IN AEW
DREAM MATCH: NO
I know Kojima is a legend in Japan, but again, did anyone ask for this, other than the AEW bigwigs? The problem with promotion versus promotion events is that they will always ask for the stars to look strong no matter what. I can't disagree with this, but, without any vignette or promotional tool other than "do your research, dickhead," the only reason to look forward to this match is that it's CM Punk's ticket to win the Owen Hart Tournament.
RICKY STARKS
DATE: JULY 15, 2023
EVENT: AEW COLLISION
TOTAL MATCH TIME: 19 MINUTES 35 SECONDS
TITLES WON SINCE MATCH:
1-TIME TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – 123 DAYS (1ST OVERALL - WITH BIG BILL)
DREAM MATCH: YES
After this match, Punk would have two more singles matches. The Real World Title match against Starks on AEW Collision and the infamous AEW All-In match with Samoa Joe. This is important because Punk lost only three singles matches in the promotion, and this was the only match to not technically have a title on the line (although it's for the Owen Hart Tournament.) This should have elevated Starks to the main event scene, but instead, he got saddled in the Tag Team scene with Big Bill. It's a shame because if I remember that time, the crowd was looking for a reason to cheer for Starks.
VERDICT
I said dream matches loosely in this list. It also makes me think that WWE had the right idea when they would rather create moments than make matches. Because including the matches with MJF, Jon Moxley, Adam Page, and Samoa Joe, the only "dream match" that really stood out was his with MJF, Darby Allin, and in some ways, Ricky Starks.
The Moxley feud got drama because of the three-minute title change. Adam Page went off the script and this was more remembered than the match, while the Joe match only mattered because of what Punk did to Jack Perry.
MJF's stock got pushed to the moon after his time with CM Punk. While MJF is still one of the hottest names in the company, his current storyline with Adam Cole is bombing. Allin's stop-start main event push is another reason why the company is in this situation, and it helps if they try to use Starks.
In dream matches, CM Punk could have faced Cody Rhodes, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, and the big-name Japanese stars like Kazuchika Okada. Jack Perry could have benefitted from that situation, but it's also puzzling that the other pillar, Sami Guevarra, never faced off against Punk.
That said, though, I don't know if these matches will remain dream matches after five years.