AEW All Out: Darby Allin and CM Punk Should Main Event

With AEW’s All Out pay-per-view only a week away, it is stacking up to be a momentous show for a number of reasons.

For just the second time ever, AEW will break out a steel cage, and that cage will be the site of an AEW tag team title match between two of the best tag teams in the world, the Lucha Bros and the Young Bucks.

Will Chris Jericho’s match vs MJF at All Out be his last in AEW?  Unless Chris Jericho finds a way to defeat MJF on September 5th, it seems as if that will be the case.

The forbidden door will open up again and through it will come Japanese legend, Satoshi Kojima to challenge the one and only Jon Moxley.

But undoubtedly, the match that has the most intrigue at this absolutely loaded pay-per-view is Darby Allin versus CM Punk.

Darby Allin versus CM Punk is the most intriguing matchup on the All Out card.

Let’s be honest here, CM Punk is a major star in professional wrestling.  And he hasn’t wrestled in 7 years.  So just the fact that Punk is back, regardless of who the opponent is, is big news.

But AEW upped the ante when it chose Darby Allin as Punk’s opponent for All Out.  Allin was the perfect choice for Punk’s opponent at All Out and there are a number of reasons why.

Darby Allin is as popular as any wrestler in AEW right now.

While the return of CM Punk would have boosted PPV buys on its own, pairing Punk with Darby Allin makes All Out must-see TV.

Allin came into AEW as a relative unknown to anyone not familiar with the independent wrestling scene.  But he quickly made a name for himself when he battled Cody Rhodes to a time limit draw at 2019’s Fyter Fest.

Darby spent a good chunk of that match trying to survive the offensive onslaught by Cody Rhodes, but in doing so showed a massive amount of grit and determination.

Fast forward two years and Allin has grown into one of the most popular performers on the AEW roster.

While heart and determination are unquestionably part of Allin’s appeal, another huge factor in the antihero’s popularity can be attributed to the fact that he is absolutely fearless.  He does spots that other performers would shy away from and the fans respond to Allin’s all-out (no pun intended) style.

Darby Allin performs suicide dives in a way that should make any other wrestler not named Rey Fenix shy away from ever attempting that move going forward.  He comes through the ropes like a heat-seeking missile with no regard for his own safety.  Say what you will about Allin’s style, but there is no doubt that the fans absolutely respond to it.

Darby Allin has a history of delivering in big spots since coming to AEW.

From his aforementioned debut at Fyter Fest until now, Darby Allin has been given the opportunity to perform in big spots and he is yet to disappoint.

Allin has main evented numerous episodes of Dynamite, both challenging veteran stars such as Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho for the AEW World Title, and as the company’s third-ever TNT Champion.

Darby has been a part of all three of Sting’s matches since the Icon joined AEW and was victorious in AEW’s first-ever coffin match against Ethan Page.

Allin’s performances have never left anything to desire.  The brighter the lights, the better Darby Allin seems to perform.

This ability to step up and continue to deliver jaw-dropping performances has led Darby Allin to be given this opportunity against CM Punk.  And he is absolutely deserving to be the one to welcome Punk back to professional wrestling.

Darby Allin’s ability to sell.

When CM Punk was performing regularly in professional wrestling there was absolutely no doubt that he was one of the best in the world.

But that was a long time ago.

Going seven years without doing something, no matter how good you were at it, is sure to lead to some rust and some very real doubts about your ability.

Enter Darby Allin.

There may not be a better seller in all of professional wrestling than Darby.

Working with Allin should instantly quell some of Punk’s doubts if he is indeed having them.

No matter how rusty that Punk might be Darby Allin will make Punk’s offense look like he never left professional wrestling, and Punk will absolutely benefit from that.

Darby has the uncanny ability to take an insane beating and keep coming back.  He is nearly impossible to keep down.  And to truly capitalize on that trait, you have to at times take a hellacious beating.  And odds are that Darby will take everything that Punk has to dish out, sell it like it is the most devastating offense we have ever seen, and keep on coming.

Darby Allin and CM Punk should both leave All Out with an elevated status in AEW.

I don’t think that there is much doubt that CM Punk will leave All Out with the victory over Darby Allin.

But if the match is done right, both men should enjoy an elevated status moving forward.

Punk will have scored a victory over a former TNT Champion, a mainstay in the AEW main event scene, and a competitor that is widely regarded as a big part of the promotion’s future.

Allin will have gone toe to toe with a legend of the sport which will undoubtedly make Darby better.  Not to mention that there may be a number of people that tune in to All Out that aren’t familiar with AEW and are watching solely to see CM Punk.  Those fans will be treated to one of the true up and comers in professional wrestling and the fanbase of Darby Allin will continue to grow because of it.

It may not be the last match on the schedule at All Out, but make no mistake about it, CM Punk versus Darby Allin is definitely the pay-per-view’s main event.