AEW Executive Believes CM Punk Will Return With “Something to Prove”

After nine months away from the company, CM Punk is set to return to AEW this Saturday on the premiere episode of AEW Collision, teaming with AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR to take on Ring of Honor Television Champion Samoa Joe and Bullet Club Gold. Punk’s imminent comeback has made headlines with each passing day, as the Second City Saint’s last AEW appearance was marred in controversy and left many questioning whether he’d ever be back. There’s no word on what AEW has in store for Punk in the long term, but for now, one top name believes Punk is going to show up on Saturday with “something to prove.”

“As a competitor and especially as somebody with his track record of success, love him or hate him, if you don’t think that guy’s gonna show up with the uber, ultimate game face on, and want to tear the house down in whatever shape, form, or fashion, folks, this is one of the reasons that not just myself, but my father absolutely loved the business,” AEW Director of Business Development and active competitor Jeff Jarrett said on his podcast. “From a competitive nature, the juices start flowing, and you have something to prove, not necessarily to the locker room, not saying that, not necessarily even to the fan base, but when you have something to prove in your gut to yourself, that you want to do good, that a guy that could probably sit back and rest on his laurels, I just don’t see that happening.”

Punk’s time away from AEW largely circulates around his injury recovery, as he suffered a torn triceps at AEW All Out in September 2022. Injury aside, Punk’s infamous post-show press conference and subsequent locker room fight with AEW Executive Vice Presidents Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks only added insult to that injury, but time seems to have healed both that wound and his triceps.

During the past nine months, Punk has made sporadic comments about AEW on social media, including occasionally touting the ratings successes that the company experienced when he was on television. Jarrett’s words about Punk looking “to prove” something to himself could be related to Punk seeking to emulate the strengths of his pre-injury AEW run.

Beyond that, Punk had suffered two multi-month injuries within his first year with AEW: the aforementioned torn triceps as well as a broken foot two months prior. “Something to prove” could also be tied to his in-ring ability, with Punk looking to show himself that he is still durable in the twilight of his career.

AEW Collision premieres this Saturday, June 17th on TNT at 8 PM ET.