Updates on Daniel Bryan and CM Punk to AEW discussions

In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave some updates on AEW potentially signing two big free agents in Daniel Bryan and CM Punk:

While no one has been able to confirm either signing, Meltzer said Bryan (Bryan Danielson) and AEW have been talking for months as he is considering WWE, AEW and New Japan as his next destination. New Japan is still the big X-factor, according to Meltzer, and part of the reason WWE president Nick Khan was trying to get a working relationship going.

“My belief is that if it was not for the pandemic, Danielson would have already been wrestling in New Japan by now unless a deal was made with WWE or AEW where he promised them the first appearance and match back since the AEW or WWE money offers would be so much higher and thus it was a virtual lock he was ending up in one place or the other,” he wrote.

Meltzer said a a WWE source tells him that internally, the belief is that Punk has signed with AEW.

“There are a number of things going on behind-the-scenes that would indicate that, but nobody in AEW has confirmed it, and of course, they won’t until the decision is made for them to go public with something of that magnitude,” he wrote.

He added that WWE previously had no interest in bringing him back, but AEW’s interest may have changed that.

He also noted that secondary ticket prices for All Out in Chicago have increased 18% since the rumors started with a “get in” price of $141.