CM Punk’s Surprising Role in Shaping AEW’s Top Tag Team
In the quick-paced, excessive-drama global of AEW, not each moment of backstage drama seems to be all bad. While CM Punk’s time at AEW led to controversy, marked by way of the notorious behind the curtain altercation with Jack Perry at All In 2023, it appears his impact wasn’t entirely bad. Far from it, in reality—Punk performed a pivotal, albeit unspoken, role in shaping one in every of AEW’s most dynamic tag groups of new memory.
Big Bill, one half of the celebrated AEW tag crew along Ricky Starks, recently spread out on Talk is Jericho, revealing an surprising piece of history: it was CM Punk who driven for the pairing of Big Bill and Ricky Starks. At the time, Bill had been a part of a group with Brian Cage, with whom he’d already started brainstorming team names, front thoughts, and possible instructions for the duo. But then, in a surprising flow, CM Punk pulled Bill apart with a proposal that would exchange the course of each men’s careers.
“Punk was the one who told me, ‘I have this idea for you and Ricky,’” Bill recalled. The thought wasn’t only a pitch—it become a sport-converting second for the AEW stars. Big Bill had lengthy reputable Ricky Starks, recalling a second from their NXT days whilst Starks had taken an exceedingly dangerous bump, incomes Bill’s admiration. From their shared history of running collectively to put together for a WrestleMania occasion, Bill knew Starks become an ideal match for a future tag group.
Despite Bill’s preliminary uncertainty, the partnership took off. “I turned into like, okay, this will paintings,” he shared, emphasizing the chemistry they already had. Together, Bill and Starks shaped a powerhouse duo that quickly captured the eye of AEW lovers.
In October 2023, the newly formed team executed one of the highest honors in AEW—winning the AEW Tag Team Championship. But the victory wasn’t just a milestone in their careers; it was a shock to Bill, who had walked into the match expecting a great contest, but not a title win. “I came to work that day just thinking we’d have a good match with FTR,” Big Bill admitted. “Then they told us we’re beating FTR in like three minutes. And I was like, ‘What the f*ck?!’”
The unexpected success of the team resonated with Bill on a deeply personal level, especially since he had never won a title in WWE. Holding the AEW Tag Team Championship in his hands was a significant moment—one that reminded him of the long road he’d traveled, with memories of his time with Enzo still fresh in his mind. “I still have the title in my living room,” he said. “Because I had never won a title with WWE.”
Sadly, the pairing was short-lived. Bill and Starks last teamed in March 2024, before Bill joined Chris Jericho’s Learning Tree. Meanwhile, Starks remains absent from AEW TV, with fans left to wonder about his future in the company. For now, the tag team remains one of the most memorable success stories to emerge from AEW, all thanks to the quiet influence of CM Punk.
