The post-Double or Nothing edition of AEW Dynamite will forever be one to remember, as it was officially announced that CM Punk will soon return to television.
Early into the May 31 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan appeared in the backstage area with a microphone in hand. After a few words about their new show Collision, premiering on June 17, Khan revealed that CM Punk would be featured on the new “tentpole” show they’re producing. Interestingly enough, the live crowd in San Diego, California, gave a very audible mixture of boos and cheers, showing how polarizing Punk has become since his previous run in AEW.
Other stars teased as a big part of Collision includes Miro, Thunder Rosa, Andrade, and Samoa Joe.
The fallout of the 2022 AEW All Out Media Scrum
Punk has been absent from AEW ever since All Out 2022. Following the pay-per-view, he appeared during the post-show media scrum. He went on a tirade about his disdain for Colt Cabana, “Hangman” Adam Page, The Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega, even going as far as to say that the Executive VPs couldn’t manage a target. It was reported that later in the night, a legitimate fight broke out between Omega and The Bucks vs. Punk and his coach, Ace Steel. It escalated to the point where Steel threw a chair and bit Omega.
All men involved in the incident were then suspended. In recent weeks, it was speculated that CM Punk would return, especially after the announcement that the first episode of AEW Collision would be held in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Those rumors were confirmed this evening when Khan made his announcement. Whether or not Punk will work with The Elite in any capacity remains to be seen.