Five Wrestlers Who Should Replace CM Punk on the AEW Fight Forever Cover

This weekend, All Elite Wrestling presents Full Gear, the final PPV of the year and the first since CM Punk went on a tangent about the AEW locker room. The card is loaded with a ton of marquee matchups. But most importantly, for us gamers, we’ve been promised some long-awaited AEW Fight Forever news. I’m still excited, even if it isn’t the news gamers wanted when there were rumors of Fight Forever heading to Xbox Gamepass a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, with all this talk about Fight Forever and the inevitable release, one thing has continued to stick out like a sore thumb over the last several weeks, and it’s former AEW Champion CM Punk still being front and center on the game’s cover. I even used my mediocre Photoshop skills to alter the cover because I could not stop thinking about it. But seriously, with Punk more than likely gone, who will be the next ‘featured’ cover wrestler on AEW Fight Forever?

Here are five wrestlers I think belong — front and center — on the cover of AEW Fight Forever

Who Should Be On The AEW Fight Forever Cover?

Bryan Danielson

Arguably the best wrestler in the world, Bryan Danielson has done it all, except he has yet to be featured on the cover of a wrestling video game. (He was on the inside of WWE 2K14’s cover, but that doesn’t count.) This could be his chance. In 2022, Danielson has been red hot, putting on five-star matches with some of AEW’s up-and-coming stars. His recent matches with Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia have been epic. And who could forget his battles with Hangman Adam Page? That first match that went to a draw was match of the year worthy.

So yes, with Punk out of the picture, Danielson deserves his flowers. He’s also the man behind the “Yes Movement,” so fans everywhere would recognize the bearded head kicker. Placing him front and center could be the way to go. Then again, there are rumors the American Dragon doesn’t even want the belt. If true, he’d never want to be pinned on the cover of a wrestling video game.

“Hangman” Adam Page

For much of All Elite Wrestling’s lifetime, Hangman Adam Page has been at the forefront of most of the company’s big storylines. His story with Kenny Omega, from Tag Team Champions to bitter enemies to eventually Page becoming World Champion, is as good as anything I can remember in wrestling. From there, he put on one banger after another. He teamed with the Dark Order and managed to help them carry on beyond Brodie Lee’s death (RIP).

He had epic title defenses against Bryan Danielson, Lance Archer in a Death Match, Adam Cole, and then, of course, CM Punk and Jon Moxley. He’s put on one big-time match after another. And from a pure talent standpoint, he might be, pound-for-pound, AEW’s best wrestler. This is why if we’re going to sit here and debate about which of these guys is most deserving, it’s hard to argue against the Anxious Millennial Cowboy, Adam Page.

The Young Bucks

This started out with me gushing over the Young Bucks, and then right before I wrote the line about how “they’re the best tag team in the world,” I was reminded of FTR. The truth is, it hasn’t been The Bucks who have dominated pro wrestling over the last 365 days. No, it has been FTR who has won gold in Japan, Mexico, Ring of Honor, and of course, AEW. Nevertheless, these two tag teams are neck and neck at the top of my list of favorite tag teams.

Deciding which duo is more worthy of the cover is above my pay grade. However, it was rumored that FTR wouldn’t even be part of the original Fight Forever roster. If true, it would certainly be hard for them to be on Fight Forever’s cover. Nevertheless, with five-star FTR out of the picture, there’s only one tag team worthy. I’m here to see the long-haired brothers from Rancho Cucamonga, California, flexing with millions of Young Bucks dollars falling from the heavens on the cover. Now that would be too sweet.

Adam Cole Bay-Bay

Adam Cole has not been around much lately in AEW due to injury. But that won’t stop me from pleading with AEW to put the man they call ‘Chugs’ on the cover of Fight Forever. Cole is not only a gamer who often streams on Twitch, but he’s one of the better wrestlers in the sport today. He has traveled all over the world and has put on one big-time match after another.

Sure, his reunion with reDRagon didn’t go as planned, but when he comes back I fully expect Cole to be back in the title hunt. He, like Danielson, is also a familiar face that many remember from his time in other promotions. He’d be a natural fit.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Depending on when you’re reading this, there’s a good chance MJF is the new AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear. Then again, maybe I got swerved. Nevertheless, if there’s one person in AEW that has redefined wrestling and proven to be a true once-in-a-generation talent worthy of being front and center on a video game cover, it’s the devil himself, Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

MJF has proven to be the best on the mic and has backed it up repeatedly in the ring. He is unbelievable. Whether it was parading around with Chris Jericho during their time together, his dominant stint with The Pinnacle, his feud with Punk, or his epic story with Wardlow, everything he touches turns to gold. This is why I believe MJF is the perfect person to supplant CM Punk on the cover.

Bonus: Colt Cabana

If you’re a mark like me, then you know the beef between Colt Cabana and CM Punk is real, which is why it would be so fitting for Cabana to get the last laugh. We all heard the pop he got the other week vs. Jericho in their Ring of Honor Championship match. Of course, it won’t happen, but this would be hilarious. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold.

Who do you think should replace CM Punk on the AEW Fight Forever cover? Let us know in the comments section below!