CM Punk’s Legal Issue Leaves AEW Uneasy Ahead of New Collision Show

Come June 17, AEW will be airing its third TV show, a 2-hour wrestling program named Collision. The new show has been slated to air live every Saturday. It was reported that Collision would pave the comeback for CM Punk, the promotion’s past champion. Yet, The Second City Saint wasn’t present during its announcement and now his legal troubles have left Tony Khan with a massive headache ahead of the new show.

CM Punk’s legal battle hampered one of AEW’s product, says veteran journalist

Back in 2022, the former AEW World Champion got involved in a backstage brawl, after he went on a rant against several AEW colleagues at the All Out media scrum. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega took offense and decided to confront Punk, resulting in a real slugfest. The Elite- Bucks and Omega- and Punk were suspended, and their titles were taken away by Khan as punishment.

The heat didn’t contain itself in the dressing room and spilled over, resulting in lawyers getting involved. While The Elite made their comeback to AEW after two months, Punk has been absent since. According to reports, he still has running legal battles with several AEW employees. This issue took a bite out of All Access, the company’s reality show. It wasn’t allowed to talk about the brawl, leaving viewers confused about several questions.

Speaking on his Wrestling Observer Radio, prominent journalist Dave Meltzer said, “…the problem with All Access was because of the legal situation.”

“One of the big focal things was the Young Bucks, like why were you gone? What’s the story? Why were you considering not coming back? It’s all these things, but nothing was explained. It had an opportunity to be something, but lawyers were involved. If there were no lawyers involved, things would be different, but there are,” the veteran journalist explained.

All Access premiered on March 29 and is currently in its first season. Meanwhile, CM Punk’s return still continues to trend as a topic of conversation. 

Is CM Punk going to return in AEW Collision?

After raising hope with a new show, recent reports about the former WWE Champions’ return to AEW have cast doubt. According to reports, the 44-year-old demanded the re-hiring of Ace Steel for Collision. The 50-year-old AEW producer was fired following his involvement in the backstage brawl.

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There are contrasting reports about his current status in the company, with some saying that he won’t be present backstage in Collision. This has reportedly left Punk’s future in limbo. However, quoting Warner Bros. Discovery, comicbook.com stated that, “CM Punk is not affiliated with TNT’s AEW Collision.”

That should close the chapter on Punk’s return for now, but fans would still hope for a formal statement from either party to have a clear understanding of the wrestler’s future. Meanwhile, what is your take on the recent CM Punk-AEW saga?   

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