Tony Khan Calls CM Punk “Very Important” & “A Big Draw” For AEW
CM Punk is on his way back to AEW, and company president Tony Khan believes that’s a great thing.
CM Punk hasn’t been seen inside an AEW ring since taking part in the now-infamous brawl with The Elite following All Out. Everyone in the brawl was suspended, and while The Elite returned to the company at Full Gear, Punk’s future remained in doubt. Matters were complicated by the fact that Punk suffered a torn triceps injury during his All Out match against Jon Moxley.
However, back in April it was reported that the Second City Savior was on his way back to the company. While his return hit a speed bump due to disagreement over Ace Steel, Khan officially announced on May 31st that Punk would be part of the brand’s new Saturday show called Collision, set to debut in Chicago on June 17th. It’s also been reported that Punk will be heavily involved in the creative for the new show, as will Bryan Danielson.
Speaking in a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Khan heaped praise onto Punk, saying the star was a very important part of the All Elite Wrestling story and drew huge numbers for the company in the past.
“We haven’t seen CM Punk in a long time, since All Out last September. He looked great in his last match. To the fans, he’s very important. He’s very important to the company, too. He’s been a big draw for us and historically throughout his career, and the launch of the new show happens to line up with the schedule on his rehab of his triceps injury.”
“We have an amazing opportunity with AEW on Saturday nights on TNT, starting June 17, and it was truly the brainchild of [Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president] David Zaslav. He asked about more AEW, specifically Saturday nights, on TNT. When it was pitched to us by TNT, I was so excited. It’s so exciting the timing [of Punk’s return from injury] coincides with the launch of Collision.”
Despite Khan’s claim, Dave Meltzer recently reported that ticket sales for Collision outside of the show’s Chicago debut are suffering.
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