Ace Steel Received “Back Pay” From AEW At CM Punk’s Request
A new report sheds more light on Ace Steel’s return to AEW.
The events following AEW All Out have become the stuff of legend, with CM Punk and The Elite involved in a massive brawl that also included Head of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels and Punk’s friend and trainer Ace Steel. Not only were punches thrown, Steel reportedly threw a chair at Nick Jackson and bit Kenny Omega.
Everyone involved in the brawl was suspended, and Steel was later fired as the result of an internal investigation, but has since been rehired and is working remotely.
CM Punk has reportedly been unhappy that Ace Steel was unable to return to a backstage role in AEW, and this fact nearly derailed his return on the debut episode of Collision. While Punk did eventually agree to return, the issue continues to cause tension within the company.
In fact, Punk has reportedly forbidden Christopher Daniels from attending Collision tapings due to the fact that Daniels was also involved in the brawl and Punk sees it as unfair that he would be allowed when Ace Steel isn’t, despite Daniels being the AEW Head of Talent Relations.
Ace Steel Reportedly Received Back Pay After Being Secretly Hired Back To AEW
Writing in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer discussed the situation regarding Daniels and Steel, confirming reports that Steel received back pay for the time he was fired and noting that this was one of the concessions to get Punk to agree to return to the company.
“Those close to Punk have said that the story was that because Ace Steel was banned from being at the arenas for Collision, that Punk felt that Daniels should also not be allowed. Daniels was part of the group that broke up the fight backstage in Chicago after last year’s All Out, and was suspended, as was everyone involved, but like everyone except Punk, Ace Steel, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, their suspensions were lifted quickly when the investigation ruled that everyone else was only trying to break things up.
“Steel was fired, then secretly hired back, according to one source, with back pay from the time he was let go, as a concession to Punk when he agreed to come back, but then told he could only work remotely and not work backstage. Steel’s return was controversial because in the brawl he allegedly threw a chair hard at the head of Nick Jackson and bit Kenny Omega in the forearm. Photos from more than a week later of Omega in a short-sleeve shirt when he was in Japan after the incident clearly showed bite marks on his forearm.”