Despite his AEW return seemingly being in jeopardy, a new report claims the relationship between Tony Khan and CM Punk remains on “sound footing.”
Punk hasn’t been seen in All Elite Wrestling since being suspended for his involvement in the now-infamous brawl following AEW All Out, and many fans wondered if he’d be stepping away from wrestling for good. However, an April report revealed that his long-awaited return was in the works despite continued tensions with top stars such as Chris Jericho and The Elite.
Furthermore, reports indicated that he would be part of a new Saturday night program called AEW Collision, expected to debut in Chicago in June. Collision was officially announced as part of WBD’s upfront today, but Punk’s name was noticeably absent. While an email with links to the press release did make mention of his name, Warner Bros Discovery adamantly denies that he’s affiliated with Collision in any way.
It later emerged that Punk was once again at odds with All Elite Wrestling over the return of Ace Steel. He’d been pushing for his friend and trainer to be rehired by the company after being fired last October in the aftermath of the All Out brawl, and Steel’s name was also floated by Chris Jericho during a recent meeting between himself and Punk.
Steel was indeed hired back by the company months ago, and Punk was of the belief he would return to the road once Collision was up and running. However, after a decision was made on Tuesday to keep him off the road, reported miscommunication from lawyers led to Punk being removed from Collision advertising.
However, according to Nick Hausman of Haus of Wrestling, the relationship between CM Punk and Tony Khan remains on “sound footing.” Hausman states that Punk is very much still with AEW and motivated to help the company grow, and that there are no issues between himself and Khan specifically. Communication between the two men is said to remain open.
CM Punk’s Friend Ace Steel Has Been Working With Tony Khan On AEW Creative
Nick Hausman also broke news that Steel was hired back to All Elite Wrestling “several months ago,” but he has not been back on the road with the company. When he was hired, he was told that he would be working with Tony Khan on AEW creative, but has been working remotely as his presence backstage would upset some people in the company.
On the most recent episode of Dynamite, Khan announced some of the first locations for AEW Collision tapings, but stated he would reveal the location of the show’s June 17th debut next week.