CM Punk vs. The Elite and 6 Potential WWE and AEW Feuds That Must Be Booked

The immense amount of star power in WWE and AEW at the moment creates endless possibilities for first-time-ever matches as well as riveting rivalries that can inject new life into both products.

CM Punk vs. The Elite leads the list of most anticipated programs in either company currently, largely due to the legitimate history they have stemming from last year's backstage brawl at All Out.

As unrealistic as it may seem that AEW would turn that bad blood an angle anytime soon, stranger things have happened, and feuds that extend beyond the squared circle tend to make for the most compelling television.

Coming out of the recent roster shakeup, WWE doesn't have a shortage of potentially exciting feuds, either. World champs Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have plenty of credible challengers waiting in the wings, and there are a number of different directions WWE can go in heading into SummerSlam and eventually WrestleMania.

Regardless of when they come to fruition, these are six rivalries WWE and AEW must book before long.

The Elite vs. CM Punk

The phrase "never say never" gets tossed around a lot in wrestling, and it was particularly proven to be true when CM Punk made his long-awaited return to wrestling in 2021 after years of Punk himself saying he had no interest in ever lacing up his boots again.

That's why a potential program pitting Punk against The Elite, with whom he has legitimate bad blood (or at least did at one point), should not be ruled out entirely.

As noted, Punk's backstage brawl with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks following the 2022 All Out pay-per-view will go down as one of AEW's biggest stories ever. Punk's subsequent suspension only added to the aura of intrigue as far as what his status with the stable was and whether it would translate to television.

Upon Punk's return to AEW last month, he made no mention of The Elite in his comeback promo (aside from a sly shot at the Bucks) and that was clearly by design. Any real-life legal issues stemming from said incident could prevent this program from becoming a reality for the foreseeable future.

At the end of the day, money talks, and everyone involved–including AEW president Tony Khan–must know that they can do big business off a Punk vs. Elite feud. It's easily the biggest rivalry that can be booked right now, and one can only hope it will still be hot once they're finally willing to work together down the road.

Brock Lesnar vs. Gunther

Gunther has steamrolled through every opponent put in front of him since arriving on WWE's main roster in April 2022. If Drew McIntyre doesn't hand him his first loss at SummerSlam, then the only other threat to his undefeated streak might be Brock Lesnar.

The famed dream match between the two behemoths has long been discussed by fans, and for a great while, it never looked like it would actually materialize due to Gunther's desire to stay exclusive to NXT UK.

Obviously, that changed last year, and it wasn't long before he made the move to the main roster and found immediate success. To WWE's credit, they've done an exceptional job of building him up as a "final boss" and allowing him to elevate the Intercontinental Championship to new heights.

Once the time comes for Gunther to drop the Intercontinental title, he'll be a perfect fit for the World Heavyweight Championship scene, where he and Lesnar can collide.

Lesnar and Gunther briefly crossed paths during this year's men's Royal Rumble match and the crowd reaction indicated a future one-on-one bout between them would be special. This is a WrestleMania-worthy match and an opportunity for Gunther to show the world that he is indeed on Lesnar's level.

Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley

Despite both being on WWE's main roster for roughly the same amount of time, a formal feud has somehow alluded Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley so far.

They've been linked dating back to their NXT days, including an NXT Women's Championship match they had at TakeOver: Portland. Although they were main roster bound soon after, it was never the right time for their to rekindle their rivalry.

Belair being sent to SmackDown in the recent draft while Ripley stayed put on Raw ensured that a rivalry between them would have to wait. However, that didn't stop Ripley from confronting Belair on the post-WrestleMania Raw back in April and teasing a future face-off.

A matchup at 'Mania would be the ideal direction to go in, but it's anyone's guess how they get there with them currently being on opposing brands. Either way, with Belair and Ripley being the future faces of WWE's women's division sharing a whole heap of accomplishments, it's an exciting outing to look forward to eventually.

Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter

AEW boasts an incredibly talented roster of women these days, but even with The Outcasts at the forefront of the AEW Women's World Championship picture, Britt Baker vs. Jamie Hayter remains the biggest female feud the promotion has yet to book.

Fans were under the impression that once Baker lost the title last year, her alliance with Jamie Hayter wouldn't last much longer. They teased tension on multiple occasions before ultimately putting their differences aside and getting back on the same page.

Hayter has been off AEW TV since losing the gold to Toni Storm at Double or Nothing, leaving Baker to fight her battles against The Outcasts alone. Baker's been popular as a babyface, but a betrayal of Hayter when fans least expect it would get her maximum heat.

Baker vs. Hayter is a big enough feud on its own that it wouldn't need a championship at stake. There's plenty of history to explore and the matches themselves could be quite good.

Baker costing Hayter her rematch for the title in Hayter's home country of England at All In would be a strong start to this program, giving the division a must-see feud in the final few months of 2023.

Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston have obviously waged war in AEW before, but never with Kingston as the babyface and Moxley as the heel.

The roles were originally reversed when Kingston signed with the company in 2020 and set his sights on Moxley's AEW World Championship. They had a brutal bout for the belt at Full Gear and reformed their friendship a number of months later.

The two teamed throughout 2021 and on occasion in 2022, but Moxley has since found new friends in the form of Blackpool Combat Club. Not only does Kingston not care for the group, he vehemently despises Claudio Castagnoli because of their checkered past on the independent scene.

The recent interactions between them have been excellent and have paved the way for what should be a marquee match when they go one-on-one again. It's encouraging to see Kingston utilized properly on his own for a change while Moxley continues to bring the best out of his opponents.

Come All In, they may have no choice but to finally settle their score inside the squared circle, provided it's only going to get more and more personal before then.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes

This is in the same vein as Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston in that it isn't exactly "fresh" but there's still more story to be told and the rivalry remains unfinished.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes had a brilliant dynamic heading into WrestleMania 39 with Reigns being the unstoppable champ and Rhodes being the people's choice. It was a fun feud while it lasted and that match was tremendous, but it still left a bit to desired in terms of how Rhodes' chase could have been dragged out further.

Plans change on a whim in WWE these days, so who knows if they'll even get a chance to revisit their rivalry come WrestleMania 40 (which would be the most likely place for it to happen).

Rhodes must be the one to dethrone Reigns as Undisputed WWE Universal champion, and getting back to this feud ahead of 'Mania 40 is imperative. They've barely scratched the surface of what they can do together and the story could be stronger with Rhodes wanting to avenge last year's loss.

It's the most prominent program WWE can book (again) for the top title and the road to the rematch promises to be captivating.

---

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.