Match Point is an ongoing series at Last Word on Pro Wrestling, where we look at intriguing matchups in indie wrestling and beyond. They may be dream matches, first-time matchups, or hotly anticipated rematches. In this edition, we will focus on the upcoming AEW World Title Unification Match between CM Punk and Jon Moxley.
The first ever AEW World Championship unification match will take place on August 24th live on AEW Dynamite. CM Punk will have his first match back from injury in Clevland Ohio against home state hero Jon Moxley. The road to the matchup was anything but conventional. CM Punk’s injury caused AEW to create an interim World Championship for the first time ever. Things also became very heated between the two very early. Let’s take a look at what led us to this pivotal matchup.
CM Punk vs Jon Moxley What to Know
Punk’s Journey
CM Punk won the AEW World Championship for the first time in his career at Double or Nothing. He defeated Hangman Adam Page in the main event of the show to take home AEW’s biggest prize. It was anything but easy as Hangman took Punk to the limit during their 25-minute war in Las Vegas. As the dust cleared, Punk had his hand held high in the desert. The win was another World Title in Punk’s collection. In addition to the AEW World Championship, he is also a former WWE, ECW, ROH, and OVW World Champion.
The following Wednesday on Dynamite live from The Forum Punk teamed with Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood (FTR) to defeat Max Caster of The Acclaimed and Austin Gunn/Colten Gunn (The Gunn Club). Following the match, Punk took to a microphone to address the AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) co-branded event Forbidden Door. He called out nonother than the New Japan legend himself Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi then came to the ring and accepted the challenge. It looked like a dream match was in the works, but plans would change.
Just two days later live on Rampage, Punk came to the ring and announced an indefinite leave from the ring due to an injury. Instead of relinquishing the title, an Interim Championship Tournament was made. Jon Moxley came out the winner and earned a chance to face CM Punk when the time was right. They came face to face at the Quake at the Lake edition of AEW Dynamite.
Moxley successfully defended the AEW Interim World Championship against Chris Jericho. After the match, the rest of the Jericho Appreciation Society came to attack Moxley. Punk made his return then to help combat the JAS but quickly confronted Moxley. The following week on Dynamite Punk opened the show and called out Moxley among others. Moxley returned the verbal jabs and the two had to be separated by security. The match was scheduled to happen at All Out but due to the heated confrontation between the two, the match was made for the August 24th edition of Dynamite.
Moxley’s Journey
At the time of Punk’s injury, Moxley was the number one ranked contender in AEW. A tournament was made with an AEW and NJPW side of the bracket, with the finals set to take place at Forbidden Door. A battle royale was made on Dynamite which was won by Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly faced off with Moxley with the winner going to the main event of Foribbiden Door. Moxley won the match between him and O’Reilly and punched his ticket to Forbidden Door.
The other side of the bracket was determined in NJPW. At Dominion, Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto to make up the second half of the main event. Although Tanahashi would not get a chance to take on Punk at Forbidden Door, he did have the chance to become interim AEW World Champion. Moxley got the better of the two in a bloody 18-minute match to become Interim World Champion.
Moxley being a fighting champion did not wait for Punk to come back to defend the interim championship. He defended the championship against Brody King, Konosuke Takeshita, RUSH, Mance Warner, and Chris Jericho. Now Moxley has the chance to do something no one else has done in AEW. Become a two-time AEW World Champion.
Moxley was the second ever AEW World Champion in the history of the company. He defeated Chris Jericho at Revolution in February of 2020 and held the championship until December of 2020 when he lost to Kenny Omega with the help of Don Callis. Since stepping away from the World Championship scene Moxley has been focused on his own stable The Blackpool Combat Club. He is a founding member alongside Bryan Danielson and manager William Regal. Along with Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli, the stable has been locked in a feud with the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Between that and defending his Interim Championship Moxley has had a lot on his mind. Make no mistake, Moxley will be 100% focused on becoming a two-time champion when he locks up with CM Punk on the August 24th edition of AEW Dynamite. Moxley will have the home state crowd in his corner as he walks into one of the biggest matches of his AEW career.
CM Punk and Jon Moxley Collide on Dynamite
The feud caught on fire quickly. Heated promos have been fired between the two wrestlers and the physicality has already begun. Things became so heated the match had to be moved up from All Out to this week on Dynamite. Both men are hungry to win. Both want to prove they are the one true undisputed AEW World Champion. Two champions enter, only one walks out. CM Punk and Jon Moxley square off on August 24th on AEW Dynamite.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the important news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube. In addition, AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday.
