CM Punk is back. This past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, AEW President Tony Khan officially announced that Punk would be making his return to the company on the debut edition of AEW Collision on June 17th. Khan’s announcement confirms weeks of reports that indicated that Punk was set to be the centerpiece for the new Saturday show. There is no word on what type of role Punk will have on the first episode, but it’s worth noting that he has reportedly pushed to work with Samoa Joe come his return. Regardless of who that first opponent is, Punk is already warning that the AEW roster is in “big, big trouble.”
Immediately after Khan’s announcement, Punk took to Instagram to share an image of Roy Batty from Blade Runner, captured during the character’s famous “tears in rain” monologue.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die,” Batty’s speech goes.
From there, Punk included a link to a clip from Billy Madison. This clip showcases Adam Sandler’s titular character throwing dodgeballs at kids, retaliating after one of them tried to hit him first.
“Now you’re all in big, big trouble,” Madison warns.
It’s worth noting that House of Black’s Brody King also shared the same Billy Madison clip after Khan announced Punk’s return. King is expected to be part of AEW Collision as he and his trios stablemates Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews are also featured on the AEW Collision poster.
Punk’s return on June 17th will mark the first time he will have appeared on AEW programming in 286 days. Punk had missed the entire summer with a foot injury but was able to return in time for AEW All Out, where he defeated Jon Moxley to become AEW World Champion once again. That match saw Punk suffer another injury, this time a torn triceps, which had put him on the shelf for upwards of nine months. While the injury was going to keep Punk off AEW TV regardless, his infamous post-show press conference and subsequent backstage fight with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks cast doubt on whether he would ever step foot back in AEW.
AEW Collision premieres on TNT on Saturday, June 17th.
