Could CM Punk Be in AEW’s Next Blood and Guts Match?

CM Punk wanted in on AEW’s next Blood and Guts Match, according to a new report from Fightful Select‘s Sean Ross Sapp that dropped this weekend. Punk has been back on AEW since mid-June but has mostly concerned himself with Samoa Joe, Bullet Club Gold and the ongoing Owen Hart Cup Tournament, in which he reached the finals on this week’s AEW Collision by finally defeating Joe in a semifinal match. And despite some references to the situation in his return promo at the start of the AEW Collision premiere episode, he hasn’t had any onscreen interaction with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks or Hangman Page (aka The Elite) since last year’s infamous “Brawl Out” incident. 

However, Sapp’s report states Punk offered to be involved in the upcoming Blood and Guts Match between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club booked for the July 19 episode of AEW Dynamite in Boston. Both teams currently have a vacant spot open as The BCC’s Bryan Danielson is out of action with a broken arm while Eddie Kingston will miss the event due to his involvement in New Japan’s G1 Climax tournament this month. Many assume Kota Ibushi will finally make his AEW debut by teaming with The Elite, meaning Punk likely would’ve joined the heelish BCC team had his offer been accepted. 

That being said, don’t count on Punk being The BCC’s fifth man. Sapp wrote, “Whether seriously or not, or whether he (Punk) actually expected the offer to be accepted isn’t known. He has expressed his desire to work with Elite in the past, but said that he’s been told it wasn’t happening,” before quoting a source saying, “Neither team would want him.” The final participants for the match have apparently already been selected and will be revealed in due time. 

AEW Dynamite Card (July 12, 2023)

• Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament: MJF & Adam Cole vs. Brian Cage & Big Bill
• Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament: Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin vs. Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara
• Owen Hart Cup Tournament: Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue
• Chris Jericho vs. Komander
• Swerve Strickland vs. Nick Wayne

CM Punk on AEW’s Brawl Out

CM Punk wouldn’t comment on his backstage fight with Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks until his interview with ESPN last month. He primarily apologized for the comments he made at the post-show media scrum but downplayed the fight itself. 

“I don’t think what happened was a big deal,” Punk said of the fight. “This has happened in the last 10 months in hockey, in basketball, in baseball, in just about every sport. It’s covered and it’s gone the next day. I think because I have injured my tricep and I’ve been out for so long, I think it has been exacerbated. I think it’s been exacerbated by people spreading lies about the whole thing. And when, in reality, my attitude is, well, s–t happens.”