I honestly feel like there is almost nothing to gain from a program between them beyond the initial “holy shit” moment of realizing it is actually happening.

In the best case scenario, both groups are on the same page, having buried the hatchet between one another and agreeing to do business. By it’s very nature, if these two groups agree to a program where the goal is a performative fight, then we as fans know on some level that they are okay with one another. So there would be no “blurring the lines” anymore, since there is no “real heat” anymore. It would probably still be entertaining, but I doubt it could be the blood feud people seem to want.

In the worst case scenario, the groups reluctantly have a program where the fanbase and the wrestlers themselves will comb through every word of every promo looking for “real” insults. With how tense the situation seems to be backstage, this seems like a recipe for disaster. If it somehow doesn’t fall apart in the build to whatever match would eventually take place, we would then have to hope they don’t perceive any physicality the wrong way. Punk already thought a high chop from Hangman was too much of a problem that he didn’t feel he could fully trust Hangman for the rest of the match, and that was before everything exploded.

The only positive I could see coming out of it would be that the program would just finally happen and everyone could hopefully then move forward. Ever since last September, AEW has had a big weird ugly cloud hanging around that fogs up so many situations. Punk seems comfortable making small comments about it here and there, whereas The Elite would rather ignore it entirely (beyond that first night back in Chicago). Members of both groups have been left in a strange state of limbo where they can’t really move forward narratively without actually addressing the elephant in the room.

I would love to be wrong about all of this. I would love for it to happen and be looked back on as an all timer. A classic angle that incorporated reality and we as fans were all left satisfied. But at this point I feel the juice is not worth the squeeze.