CM Punk “At Odds” Again With AEW

For weeks now the return of CM Punk to AEW has been something of an open secret but after confusion over the announcement of the new Collision show, Punk is said to again be “at odds” with the company.

AEW announced the news that Collision will be debuting on Saturday nights on TNT beginning on June 17th and will air live each week from 8 -pm – 10 pm ET. That had long been rumored to be the new home for CM Punk in AEW given the issues that still appear to exist between Punk and The Elite stemming from their backstage fight at All Out in September 2022.

Some thought CM Punk would be announced on Dynamite following the Collision announcement while others predicted Punk would be part of the overall Collision announcement at the Warner Bros Discovery upfronts. In fact, Punk’s name was even part of an original press release that touted “headliners” for the new show. A revised list only mentioned Miro, Andrade El Idolo, Thunder Rosa, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Samoa Joe by name.

Warner Bros Discovery then put a cat amongst the pigeons by going on record to say that “CM Punk was not affiliated with AEW Collision.” This could all be to throw people off the scent of an impending announcement on Dynamite – but now things look uncertain again.

PWInsider has reported that there is said to be an issue between CM Punk and AEW over the possible return of former producer and Punk’s friend Ace Steel. Steel left the promotion following the All Out fight where he allegedly bit Kenny Omega on the arm and threw a chair at Nick Jackson’s head.

Sources have noted that Steel was expected to return to the company alongside Punk and resume his work behind the scenes but this has not been confirmed.