Why CM Punk Must Dethrone Adam Page At AEW Double or Nothing

As we head towards Double or Nothing on May 29th, one of the most intriguing matchups on the card is the AEW World Championship match between defending champion “Hangman” Adam Page and CM Punk.

This match will be unique as two of the company’s top babyfaces square off in the main event in what is sure to be a hotly contested match with a split crowd. Part of what will make this match exciting is that either man could conceivably walk out of Las Vegas the AEW Champion, but there is only one outcome that sets up the promotion to give us the best that AEW has to offer moving forward.

At Double or Nothing, it is imperative that Page drops the AEW World Title to CM Punk to set up the most intriguing storylines for the future of AEW.

The reasons that CM Punk needs to win the AEW Title at Double or Nothing have very little to do with Page himself. “Hangman” has had a good run as AEW Champion because of some very memorable matches with Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Lance Archer, and most recently with Konosuke Takeshita. He is a wildly popular wrestler that is over with the fans in each and every city that AEW visits. But unfortunately for Page, at this point, that is not enough.

Ironically enough, the reason that CM Punk needs to walk out of Double or Nothing as the AEW World Champion actually has very little to do with CM Punk either. The true reason Punk needs to win the AEW Title on May 29th has more to do with Bryan Danielson and MJF than anyone else.

Before looking ahead to why a future AEW needs CM Punk as their champion, we need to take a look back at the recent past. It was not long ago that Bryan Danielson was arguably the top heel in all of professional wrestling. He was embroiled in an intense rivalry with Adam Page and pushing all the right buttons with the AEW crowds to really excel in the role.

After taking “Hangman” to a sixty minute time limit draw in his first attempt to win the AEW Title, Danielson fell short in his second attempt, suffering a pinfall loss to the champ. This was the right booking decision as it was Page’s first feud since winning the AEW Title. Taking the title off of him so quickly would have undone all the brilliant long term storytelling that AEW had done in the build to Page winning the title from Kenny Omega in the first place.

The issue was the aftermath of the Danielson loss. Just four months removed from challenging for the AEW Title, Danielson heads into Double or Nothing with none of the momentum he had when he was feuding with Page. As part of the Blackpool Combat Club, Danielson has taken a backseat, both in the ring and on the microphone, and will head into the pay-per-view as part of a ten man tag team match against the Jericho Appreciation Society. No disrespect to the members of the JAS, but Danielson should be involved in something much better than what he is currently in.

As Punk heads into a title match with Adam Page at Double or Nothing, one can’t help but wonder where Punk goes from here if he were to come up short in his attempt to win the AEW Championship? It seems silly to think that Punk would get put into a program beneath him if he were to lose at the pay-per-view, but all we have to do is look at Bryan Danielson as proof that it could indeed happen.

In addition to not repeating a mistake of the past, another reason a CM Punk win at Double or Nothing is critical is to ensure the best possible future programs in AEW.

Image Credit: AEW

The ascension of MJF through the ranks both as an excellent promo, but also a very capable in-ring performer has been no secret. The man works a crowd like few can and gets the loudest chorus of boos anywhere he goes (outside of Long Island). MJF is a future AEW Champion in waiting, and this potential needs to be realized sooner rather than later.

At the Revolution pay-per-view, MJF recently completed an extremely personal and well done program with CM Punk. This feud was widely regarded as the best program in the short history of AEW. But it was suspiciously suspended with the tally at one win apiece for both MJF and Punk. This was most likely done on purpose, with the third and deciding match having the added incentive of being for the AEW World Title sometime in the future.

MJF winning the title from CM Punk would have a much greater impact than him winning it from anyone else on the AEW roster. It would give the uber villain bragging rights over Punk as well as amp up the disdain for MJF as he takes the title from the most popular wrestler in the promotion. You think MJF is insufferable now? Just wait until he takes the title from the man he detests more than anyone.

There seems to be an excellent story laid out for MJF, CM Punk, and the AEW World Championship. That story is all but guaranteed to give us riveting television for months to come. But none of it can come to fruition without a CM Punk win over Adam Page at Double or Nothing.