CM Punk Names Will Hobbs, Darby Allin and More AEW Stars He'd Like to Wrestle

CM Punk gave a ringing endorsement to five young AEW wrestlers during a Twitter Q&A session Friday.

When asked which AEW wrestler he would most like to work with if he ever returns to pro wrestling, Punk responded: "I see five guys that have potential. Hobbs, Darbs, Pillman, Starks, Jungle Boy. And that’s not to say there are others, but those guys stick out."

Will "Powerhouse" Hobbs, Darby Allin, Brian Pillman Jr., Ricky Starks and Jungle Boy are all 30 years old or younger, and none of them had a ton of national exposure before joining AEW.

Of the wrestlers Punk mentioned, the 28-year-old Allin has unquestionably enjoyed the most success thus far.

In addition to being the reigning TNT champion and preparing to work a tag team match against Starks and Brian Cage with WWE Hall of Famer Sting as his partner, Allin has worked high-profile matches against the likes of Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley.

Allin has a unique look and character, and he is a quality in-ring performer, giving him all the tools needed to be a world champion in the near future.

Punk vs. Allin is a match that wrestling fans would undoubtedly love to see, although Punk against any of the wrestlers he mentioned would be a huge deal.

The 42-year-old has not wrestled since the 2014 Royal Rumble match, and he has largely focused on competing in and announcing MMA since then.

Punk has remained open to the possibility of returning to wrestling at some point, but he hasn't lobbied for a return publicly and seems like he would be content staying retired. He essentially already did it all in the world of wrestling, winning the WWE Championship twice and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship three times.

Punk has maintained that it will take something new and interesting to get him to come out of retirement, and a rivalry with Allin, Hobbs, Pillman, Starks or Jungle Boy would undoubtedly fit the bill.

There is no question Punk could help elevate any of them to new heights, and AEW should explore every avenue to make that happen if any possibility of working with him exists.

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