With CM Punk on the verge of returning to AEW, the circumstances and controversy which began his hiatus remain unresolved.
The story of Punk’s verbal assault on The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page and Colt Cabana is well known, but the truth about the brawl that followed backstage may never be removed from the shadows.
Due to legal issues which are still “in play,” all sides and AEW boss Tony Khan are unable to comment on the incident. This policy also extended into the reality series All Access which offered a look behind the scenes in AEW.
During the first and to date only season of the show, The Young Bucks’ return to the company was featured although there was no mention or real explanation as to why they were missing in the first place. In reality, they had been suspended following All Out. This led to criticism from viewers, with many stating that the lack of explanation meant that aspects of the show made little sense unless you were aware of the “inside” drama.
However, it has now been reported that The Young Bucks did reference Punk, albeit not by name, in interviews for the show, but due to fear of potential legal ramifications, these references were edited out.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer broke down the confusing and potentially legally hazardous situation.
“They did interviews. They talked about it. They never mentioned Punk’s name because they weren’t allowed to mention his name, but they did interviews to beat around the bush on the story. Even that was edited out because of the fear of legal reprisal.
The biggest issue isn’t even necessarily Tony, and it isn’t most of the guys. It is the legal threats and because of what those are, Tony is playing it very careful to the point of no one mentioning it. On the reality show, CM Punk’s name was never mentioned once. I knew they would never talk about the thing, but they didn’t even allude to anything close to it.”
CM Punk To Make AEW Return At “The Second Coming”
It is believed that CM Punk will make his AEW return on the debut episode of new Saturday night show, Collision, live from the United Center in Chicago on June 17th. It has been reported that this episode has been given the title “the second coming.”
H/t to WrestlingNews.Co