Will CM Punk Be On AEW Dynamite Tonight?

CM Punk's return to wrestling appears to be imminent. Reports circulated for weeks that Punk would be the centerpiece for the new AEW Collision show on TNT, a two-hour Saturday primetime program that is set to premiere on June 17th. Things hit a road bump at Warner Bros. Discovery Upfronts when AEW Collision was officially announced but Punk was nowhere to be seen. Reports emerged that Punk was once supposed to be heavily featured on the show's promotional material but was removed from it due to a disagreement between himself and AEW. While headlines over the past week have teetered between "will he, won't he" regarding Punk showing up on AEW Collision, the most recent report indicates that the Second City Saint is "good to go."

Unlike his initial AEW debut in August 2021, AEW did not seem keen on keeping Punk's return this time around a secret. Considering his aforementioned rumored inclusion in promotional material, AEW was likely looking to utilize Punk in AEW Collision marketing leading up to the June 17th premiere.

Now that he is "good to go," the question becomes when, not if, Punk will be back on AEW programming. That could hypothetically come as soon as tonight on AEW Dynamite around the time when AEW President Tony Khan announces the first location for AEW Collision. Chicago's United Center is expected to be the site of the debut episode, and once Chi-Town becomes officially associated with the new show, all conversation topics will immediately shift to Punk.

Similar to how Miro and Thunder Rosa were seen entering Khan's office in weeks past, Punk could have a similar angle where he makes his AEW TV return in a backstage segment. He could follow Miro and Rosa by knocking on Khan's door, or Khan could pass the announcement baton to Punk and have the Chicago native reveal the AEW Collision news himself. Khan has been known to do this in the past, as talent like Adam Cole and Nigel McGuinness have been brought in to make blockbuster announcements like AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door and AEW ALL IN: London.

It's worth noting that Punk's name and likeness aew once again being used on AEW programming. AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman name-dropped Punk on TV for the first time since the now-infamous AEW All Out press conference earlier this month, and Punk's face during his dog-collar match with MJF was shown during a pre-edited package.

AEW Dynamite goes down tonight at 8 PM ET.