For the second time in his AEW tenure, CM Punk is in the middle of an extended period away from the ring. The Second City Saint first took a hiatus in Summer 2022 after suffering a foot injury on AEW Dynamite. Punk would return to AEW TV this past August, but only stuck around for about a month as he was injured once more at AEW All Out in September. That new injury coupled with both his controversial post-show press conference and backstage fight with AEW Executive Vice Presidents Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks have cast doubt on Punk’s long-term AEW future.
As reported by the Wrestling Observer, Punk’s camp believes AEW President Tony Khan has him “on ice” for the time being, as there have been no creative pitches to bring him back to television nor any talks of releasing him from his contract.
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It’s worth noting that the lack of creative pitches for Punk is likely due to his injury timetable. Reports said that the former AEW Champion would be on the shelf for at least eight months, meaning Punk is just over halfway through his healing process. If he stays on schedule, Punk would be healed up by May. With all emphasis on March’s AEW Revolution at the moment, any possible plans to bring Punk back likely would not materialize until after that pay-per-view.
On the flip side, not discussing a release indicates that Punk will remain on AEW’s books for the foreseeable future. It was reported this past fall that Punk and AEW were moving towards a buyout of his contract, but those rumblings have simmered in recent weeks. The bottom line of Punk’s situation is that a decision will likely be made once he has made a full recovery.
If he is to make an AEW return, many fans have fantasy booked a trios clash of Punk and FTR taking on The Elite. That storyline and subsequent match would come with a built-in narrative, as four of the six men were involved in the now-infamous locker room brawl that went down after AEW All Out.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on CM Punk’s AEW status.
