Almost three years removed from his arrival in All Elite Wrestling, Bryan Danielson is finally a world champion once again.

The story he told with now-former champ Swerve Strickland, combined with the exceptional in-ring action and electric atmosphere at Wembley Stadium in London, made for a monumental main event for All In.

Danielson's emotional title win and subsequent celebration closed out the event on the highest note possible.

With All Out, Grand Slam and WrestleDream all fast approaching, there's any number of ways his highly anticipated title reign could play out and the potential opponents waiting in the wings to challenge him.

CM Punk, a former AEW world champion in his own right, has yet to hold gold of any kind since returning to WWE last November, and some may see his Aug. 19 Raw promo as a sign that his babyface persona has already jumped the shark.

He and Drew McIntyre may not have had their most compelling promo exchange last Monday night, but it won't affect their rivalry on the whole as they head into the next heated chapter at Bash in Berlin on Saturday.

This installment of Quick Takes will break down fan overreactions to Punk's promo, the perfect time for a Chris Jericho sabbatical, a Raw wrestler on the rise, and more.

Bryan Danielson's AEW World Title Reign Doesn't Need to Be a Long One

By virtue of his victory at All In, not only is Bryan Danielson the new AEW world champion, he also holds the power to decide when he wants to wrap up his full-time run as an active competitor.

A loss to Swerve Strickland in the pay-per-view main event on Sunday night would've meant an instant retirement.

Danielson doesn't have to be in possession of the prestigious prize for several months in order for his reign to be special. In fact, capturing the championship in the fashion he did at the iconic Wembley Stadium was more than enough, and everything that follows is merely icing on the cake.

Thankfully, there are multiple events on the horizon where Danielson can defend against some of the very best in All Elite Wrestling today.

With there being such a quick turnaround time between All In and All Out, it isn't necessary for there to be extensive buildup for his opponent at the latter PPV. Christian Cage would make the most sense following his win in the Casino Gauntlet match at All In.

Darby Allin already earned his shot at Grand Slam after winning Royal Rampage in late July, and WrestleDream emanating from Danielson and Strickland's home state of Washington sets the stage for a rematch between them.

There, Strickland can avenge the All In loss, regain the gold and send Danielson into retirement. Even if The American Dragon's time with the title is brief, booking it in such a way would ensure that it will be memorable, effective and enjoyable.

Ludwig Kaiser's Singles Run Off to Strong Start

Of all the potential top talent on the rise in Raw right now, Ludwig Kaiser will specifically be one to keep an eye on.

The two-time NXT tag team champion didn't find much luck alongside Giovanni Vinci as part of Imperium on the main roster and so far the decision to break them up has proved to be a wise one.

Kaiser was made to look like an equal throughout his rivalry with Sheamus and even beat the former WWE champion before an untimely injury halted his momentum prior to Money in the Bank. Thankfully, he wasn't sidelined for as long as he resurfaced at SummerSlam and went on to battle Randy Orton in the main event of the Aug. 19 edition of Raw.

Kaiser's impressive performance coupled with high praise he recently received from The Undertaker on his Six Feet Under podcast puts him in a prime position to continue breaking out on the red brand in the coming weeks and months.

Gunther will shine as world heavyweight champion regardless, but that doesn't necessarily mean Kaiser has to stay in his shadow forever. The consistent quality of his singles push has been better than most on Monday nights and will be the key to an even brighter future for him.

Ricochet to AEW, Ricky Starks to WWE Would Be Worthy Talent Trade

WWE and AEW aren't in the business of talent exchanges—at least not with each other—but several stars would benefit greatly from spending some time in the opposing promotion.

While not necessarily a "trade," Ricky Starks and Ricochet are two talents in particular who have been overdue for a change of scenery.

Ricochet departed WWE when his contract expired earlier in the summer, and at All In, he made his move official by debuting in the Casino Gauntlet match.

The aerial artist made an immediate impact with a stellar showing, proving he'll be a fine fit for the AEW style. For as successful as he was in WWE, a fresh batch of opponents to work with will allow him to remind the world what he's truly capable of inside the squared circle.

Starks to WWE is far from set in stone, especially with AEW president Tony Khan confirming to Sports Illustrated in a conference call on Thursday that the former tag team champion remains under contract to the company. There's been no definitive word on how much remains on his current deal, but fan speculation is that he'll ultimately be WWE-bound.

If and when that day comes, Starks will have the chance to start from scratch and excel in the WWE/NXT environment given his experience and skill set.

WWE and AEW would gain an equal amount from the two blue-chippers swapping the spots they had at the start of 2024.

Chris Jericho Ready for Extended Break from AEW TV

Following his loss of the FTW Championship at All In, The Learning Tree is long overdue for an extended break from AEW programming.

Chris Jericho has been a fixture in the company since its inception over five years ago. He was a recurring highlight on Dynamite early on as AEW world champion and did some of his strongest work during that period, but a vast majority of what he's been involved in since then has been subpar at best.

His latest attempt to reinvent himself as The Learning Tree, while ambitious, has largely fallen flat and hasn't made the FTW Championship feel like any less of a prop. Feuding with Jericho gave Hook direction for six months, but the second-generation star is actually much colder coming out of All In than he was prior to the program.

Hook and his father, Taz, giving the veteran and his cronies their comeuppance at the event provides the perfect opportunity for Jericho to be taken off television for the next several months, perhaps to shine the spotlight on Big Bill—who received a strong reaction from the Cardiff crowd on the Aug. 24 Collision—in his absence.

The Jericho Vortex is a very real problem plaguing the AEW product, and the sole solution is to give him an indefinite hiatus so he can return somewhat fresher.

One Subpar Promo Won't Ruin CM Punk

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have hit home run after home run throughout the course of their ruthless rivalry this year, including the strong story their SummerSlam match told despite lacking the intensity fans were hoping for from them.

It was only a matter of time before they had a misfire, which just so happened to be their underwhelming exchange on the Aug. 19 edition of Raw.

The two rivals clearly didn't have much material to work with beyond making their Strap match for Bash in Berlin official. That could be a sign that their storyline is running on fumes, but they've simply reached a point where the audience is ready to see them go at it again on pay-per-view.

Punk's promo in particular drew ire from fans expecting a much more serious, sadistic and fired-up side of The Second City Saint. His gift of gab has been evident in his promo work throughout 2024, so one less-than-stellar segment will hardly hurt his popularity, edge or cool factor.

The outcry for a Punk heel turn was overblown online, but that's not to say that day won't come down the road.

Heel Punk is still something to look forward to, but in the meantime, he'll be just fine.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.