AEW President Tony Khan had another big announcement to share on AEW Dynamite, and it made one of the worst-kept secrets official. Khan would reveal that CM Punk is indeed making his return to All Elite Wrestling, and he will do so in Chicago during the debut of AEW’s new show Collision. Now that fans know he is returning, the question becomes who will be Punk’s first opponent and a new report from Fightful Select reveals several creative pitches and opponents for Punk. The report says that there were originally heavy pitches for Punk and Chris Jericho and at one point Punk vs Samoa Joe was being planned. One of the most intriguing feuds though is with a newer AEW signing.
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According to the report, word is that Punk has taken a liking to what Switchblade Jay White has been doing and that White and Bullet Club Gold could end up being early opponents of Punk once Collision begins. Obviously, this could change, but thankfully we don’t have too much longer to find out what is next for Punk.
Khan made the announcement rather directly on Dynamite, announcing that CM Punk would be making his return to AEW as part of Collision. No other details followed, but the report does go into additional details. AEW has evidently taken measures to make sure as much talent that has issues with Punk is kept apart and on another brand, though AEW hasn’t officially revealed any brand split plans as of yet. Khan did address the possibility, saying that they want people to wonder.
“I haven’t given a lengthy explanation yet for what I’m planning regarding the future of the roster and how people will be allocated across Dynamite and Collision and our other shows,” Khan said. “I can see why wrestling fans all over the world would be interested and curious about that. That’s frankly by design that we want to build that curiosity in and get people wondering exactly what you’re asking, ‘what’s the future of the AEW roster, and what does this all mean going forward after Double or Nothing?’ It’s a really good question and something we’ll be excited to follow up on.”
The report also addresses Ace Steel, who is returning to the company as well. That was a significant element in making the deal work, and most Fightful spoke to said they felt the situation wouldn’t have blown up as much if Steel wasn’t involved. There were also numerous sources that said Steel’s skill set was underestimated by many online, as Steel was seen as a valuable member of the AEW team as a creative mind and coach before what happened at All Out.
Now he is back with Punk in AEW, and Collision for all intents and purposes seems to be the Punk show. Stars like Andrade El Idolo, Miro, FTR, and more seem primed to have bigger presences on that show, and regardless of which side of the Punk issue they fall on, having more television real estate to feature them can only be a good thing.
Are you excited for CM Punk’s AEW return? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
