CM Punk’s AEW return is reportedly just one month away. Following his injury and controversial remarks at the AEW All Out press conference, there was significant doubt that Punk would ever be able to share a locker room with the AEW stars he burned bridges with again. AEW’s solution to the backstage bad blood is reportedly to usher in a third weekly show, AEW Collision, which would represent a brand split of sorts within the company. Punk would be AEW Collision‘s centerpiece while The Elite would remain top talent on AEW Dynamite. AEW Collision is reportedly set to debut in mid-June.
While some stars have taken crystal clear sides in the Punk vs. Elite beef, others have remained on the periphery. That said, even those who don’t have defined allegiances have expressed their eagerness to see Punk back in AEW.
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“Absolutely,” Saraya told BBC Norfolk when asked if she would like to see Punk back soon. “I’ve said this before with Punk. He’s always been an absolute sweetheart to me. He’s never once had any conflict whatsoever. He’s been very helpful and given a lot advice over the years.”
Punk and Saraya both worked for WWE prior to their AEW debuts, but the two never truly shared a locker room. Saraya, then wrestling as Paige, was in NXT while Punk dominated the main roster. By the time that Paige debuted on Monday Night Raw, Punk had already walked out of the company. Interestingly enough, Paige’s debut saw her win the WWE Divas Championship in quick fashion by beating then-champion AJ Lee, Punk’s wife.
Even though the two never truly interacted inside a squared circle, they shared the screen together on WWE Backstage, the short-lived Fox Sports WWE studio show.
“Since basically near the beginning of when I was at WWE, he was kind of on his way out, but I remember coming up on live event loops, and he was very nice. Going into WWE Backstage, always very nice,” Saraya continued. “Coming into AEW, he had reached out to me, ‘If you need anything.’ He’s really awesome.
“I want whatever is best for business. If people don’t like each other, you have to find that common ground in a professional setting. There are people I haven’t liked over the years, but I’ve never let my personal feelings get in the way of business, at the end of the day. If he was to come back, it would be great for AEW.”
Punk is rumored to return to AEW at an unannounced June 17th AEW event, expected to be the debut of AEW Collision.
