Backstage News On CM Punk’s AEW Locker Room Reputation
There is a report on how CM Punk has meshed with people with AEW since his return on Collision in June.
When the reports started months ago about AEW’s new TNT show Collision on Saturday nights, it was also revealed that’s where CM Punk would return to the company.
Due to Punk’s well-known issues with some big AEW stars like The Elite (Kenny Omega, Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson), AEW wanted to bring Punk back while avoiding any potential conflicts stemming from Punk’s backstage fight with Omega and The Young Bucks at All Out 2022 last September.
By bringing the former two-time AEW World Champion CM Punk back on Collision, it has allowed AEW to use some different talents on the Saturday night show that are different from who we see Wednesdays on Dynamite and Fridays on Rampage.
According to veteran wrestling journalist Wade Keller of PWTorch, CM Punk is showing good leadership on AEW Collision. Keller wrote more about Punk taking his role as a leader seriously.
“The word from backstage at Collision is that he is taking seriously that this is “his show” and he’s taking pride in putting his stamp on the on-air product and off-air vibe in the locker room. Our sources don’t necessarily reflect the views of everyone in the back and some may have different experiences that are less positive, but overall the vibe appears to be moving in the right direction after some tension in his first week back related to his early dig at The Young Bucks.”
“There has been no such “insider digs” in his promos since his first week back alluding to the issues he had with The Elite and others in the past.”
It was also noted by Keller that “Tony Khan has assembled the Collision roster strategically to remove people who had conflicts with Punk from being around him on Saturday nights and that appears to be paying off.”
Last night’s episode of AEW Collision in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada only had about 2,000 fans in attendance, which is not a good crowd at all. Meanwhile, ratings dropped for Collision over the last two weeks after a strong start for its first episode.
CM Punk headlined last night’s July 8th episode of Collision by beating Samoa Joe in the semifinals of the Owen Hart Cup tournament. Ricky Starks beat Powerhouse Hobbs in the other semifinal match, so Punk faces Starks next week on AEW Collision to crown the Owen Hart Cup champion.
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