Update On Ace Steel’s AEW Contract Expiration & Pay While Fired
A new report sheds light on the conditions of Ace Steel’s contract with 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.
When Does Ace Steel’s AEW Contract Expire?
An update from Fightful Select sheds more light on the situation surrounding Steel, confirming that steel is on the AEW payroll but not allowed to be in the building for tapings as he’s considered to be an “insurance risk” to the company. According to the report, Steel has met with AEW President Tony Khan multiple times in recent months, and that it was determined he could continue working for AEW while not on the road. He is also permitted to seek work elsewhere, and his deal is said to expire in the Fall of 2024.
In addition, the report notes that Steel regularly meets with Tony Khan to discuss a number of topics, and that he makes multiple suggestions specifically regarding Punk. According to Fightful, there is word going around that Steel received back pay for the time he was on the outs with the company.