CM Punk Had AEW Star Removed From Collision
CM Punk’s impact on All Elite Wrestling is still being felt.
After the infamous brawl that followed AEW All Out 2022, CM Punk made a triumphant return to the company on the debut episode of Collision on June 17th, 2023. Punk was positioned as the central star of the show, and a roster split was established in an effort to keep all of AEW’s big names happy and out of each other’s way.
It was reported during the summer that CM Punk held enormous power backstage on the show, and was said to be able to decide who appeared and who didn’t. Punk reportedly banned Christopher Daniels from the brand, despite him being the Head of Talent Relations.
It’s now been revealed that Punk also played a role in another star being pulled from the show.
On November 27th, QT Marshall announced his resignation from AEW, confirming he’ll be leaving at the end of the year. While Marshall might not have been a regular on television, he holds a number of positions backstage and is seen as a highly valuable member of the team.
It’s since been reported that Marshall had grown frustrated with AEW’s general creative direction, and wants to wrestle more often. Meanwhile, a new report has shed some light on the star’s fractured relationship with Tony Khan and how CM Punk played a role.
According to Wrestle Purists, QT Marshall’s time on Collision, where a number of QTV segments aired in the early days of the show, was cut short by Punk. The now-WWE star “didn’t want Marshall to be a part of Collision and didn’t see QTV as a productive part of Powerhouse Hobbs’ presentation.”
Seemingly in a bid to protect Punk, Tony Khan took the blame for the segments being removed, which damaged his relationship with Marshall. This left the situation between the pair “fractured” with Marshall feeling there was a lack of transparency over how and why the segments were removed. Marshall is said to have not believed Khan when he took responsibility, instead feeling that it was Punk who had him pulled from the show.
The report adds that Marshall was well-liked by AEW talent and staff.
CM Punk Makes Low-Key Return To WWE Raw
CM Punk made a stunning return to WWE at Survivor Series, appearing as the show went off the air. Given his outspoken nature and firing from AEW, fans expected his return to Raw with a live microphone in hand to be explosive. However, the former AEW Champion was decidedly restrained.
The star said he felt like he was home while steering clear of commenting on his departure from AEW.