Tag: CM Punk

AEW is about to enter its most pivotal summer yet — and needs to capitalize

AEW looks like it has a huge hit on its hands with All In London, but it needs other moves it’s making to be equally successful.

It’s been more than four years since All Elite Wrestling was born, and the company has already managed to accomplish quite a bit.

It’s a got lucrative national television deal and has garnered a dedicated and loyal fan base, so much so that the promotion has already sold 50,000 tickets for All In, which is set to take place in one of the most famous venues in the world, Wembley Stadium.

AEW CEO, GM, and Head of Creative Tony Khan said the event has already generated a gate of £5.2 million, which according to his tweet, is $6.5 million. It’s already shaping up to be one of the biggest wrestling shows of the year and no matches have even been announced.

I can count the number of promotions in the world even capable of selling that many tickets on one hand, let alone in such a historic venue like Wembley Stadium. AEW is firmly one of those promotions.

Khan took a victory lap on Twitter, and deservedly so. Selling that many tickets is to be celebrated, as something like this was deemed impossible just five years ago.

However, this coming summer presents a new set of challenges for the young promotion.

Before one ticket stub is scanned at Wembley in August, AEW must first deal with the return of its most notable star, CM Punk.

In case you missed it, Punk has been on an extended hiatus from the company since last September after excoriating multiple members of the roster during a press conference (after winning the world title, mind you), which forced him to have to physically fend off said wrestlers — namely Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, who also happen to be EVPs in the company — who went looking for him after the presser.

And the timing couldn’t have been worse, as WWE was finding its footing creatively under Paul “Triple H” Levesque in the beginning of what we thought was the post-Vince McMahon era.

It’s been eight months since that occurred, and it’ll be nine before Punk is reportedly set to return to AEW on June 17. Eight days later, the promotion will host its second annual inter-promotional pay-per-view, Forbidden Door.

Because of this, it’s imperative that Khan and the other decision-makers in the promotion smooth out any tension that may still exist between the two sides, as the company can ill-afford a sequel to All Out. 

Regardless of whose side you choose in the matter, AEW was the ultimate loser. Why? Because it lost the services of Punk for a nearly a year. And according to Khan himself, “no one wrestler has ever come in and made a bigger plus-delta financial difference in the history” of AEW.

Punk’s star power aside, it is also important because June 17 is expected to be the debut of another wrestling AEW television program reportedly called Collision. And because the wounds of last year’s All Out are still open for some, AEW is reportedly considering splitting the rosters between Dynamite and its newest program.

I feel like such a move is unnecessary, but if AEW deems it to be so, then it has to be done right. Don’t resort to the lazy storytelling tactics of WWE and just have wrestlers pop up on other brands just for the sake of it. Give each show its own identity, unlike WWE where the signature colors of Raw (red!) and SmackDown (blue!) are the only real differences between them.

If all goes according to plan, AEW should have a smashing success on their hands with All In at Wembley Stadium not just financially, but creatively as well.

With McMahon suspected to be back behind the controls behind the controls of creative in WWE, and the expected dip in quality that brings with it, AEW has a real opportunity this summer to flex its muscle and showcase its resiliency from a rather turbulent 2022. 

Report: CM Punk, Chris Jericho had ‘relatively uneventful’ meeting

The meeting was said to have happened in Florida and succeeded in not creating any headlines.

CM Punk and Chris Jericho certainly aren’t best buddies. They’ve said some unkind things about each other in the past. But as two of AEW’s biggest, most widely recognizable names, it would be a lot better for the company if they can work together as Punk prepares for his return.

The two men might have taken a big step in that direction, with Fightful Select (subscription required but worth the $5) citing sources familiar with the situation in reporting that they had a meeting within the last week that was “relatively uneventful all things considered.”

PW Torch added that the meeting happened in Florida and that it “was said to have gone well.”

Those things include Punk calling Jericho a stooge on social media earlier this year, as well as reports that Jericho confronted Punk after his post-All Out brawl with The Elite. Several months ago, with Punk still in the middle of his suspension for said brawl, it wouldn’t have been shocking if they never appeared on TV together in AEW again.

But things have changed since then, with all signs pointing toward Punk wanting to resume his AEW career. At the same time, AEW has ambitious 2023 plans that include a U.K. debut at historic (and massive) Wembley Stadium, a second edition of Forbidden Door with NJPW, and an all but official Saturday night prime time show slated to debut later this year.

It’s been widely assumed that Punk will be featured on that show, allowing The Elite and others who might not want to forgive him yet to be siloed way from him on Dynamite. Even so, Punk will need other high profile performers to work alongside him, and in terms of mainstream appeal, Jericho is the company’s other top star.

Fightful’s sources pointed out that one productive meeting doesn’t necessarily mean all is well, as they “pointed towards Punk’s recent history, as well as Jericho’s long-term history of welcoming confrontation.”

Still, any move toward reconciliation can only be a positive for AEW as it looks to carry fulfill some big aspirations over the rest of this year.

Report: CM Punk was briefly backstage for WWE Raw in Chicago

Showing up at the other company’s show is one way to get people talking before your expected comeback, for sure.

Pro wrestling is always full of surprises, but this will turn everyone’s head.

According to PW Insider, CM Punk was backstage for a time before Monday’s episode of WWE Raw. The show is at the Allstate Center just outside Chicago, his hometown.

The report doesn’t indicate why Punk visited, but he briefly saw Paul “Triple H” Levesque, which would make it the first time they interacted in person since Punk’s WWE departure.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), Punk spoke with The Miz among other WWE talents. WWE’s head of security, Jim Kelly eventually asked him to exit the arena, with PW Insider’s report mentioning it was Vince McMahon’s call for the wrestling star to leave.

Fightful Select also reported that several AEW talents were “in disbelief” that Punk was backstage at Raw. Other WWE talent also felt it was a publicity stunt for his AEW return.

Punk has been heavily linked to an AEW return for its long-awaited Saturday show that’s potentially being built around him. So AEW talents being distraught about this, when there have been numerous issues between Punk and the company’s wrestlers already, lines up.

If it was a publicity stunt, it worked. Punk’s name makes headlines with a wrestling company he’s not returning to, weeks before his likely AEW return. It makes fans and the industry talk, and it could put more eyes on his comeback later this year.

From the walkout to his fight with The Elite in 2022, the social media barbs with AEW talent only weeks ago, and his surprisingly likely AEW return alone, controversy has followed Punk this past year. If a full-time run in AEW is in the cards, chances are more unpredictable events will occur. In that case, it’s anyone’s guess what Punk will do next or where he’ll be.

Why CM Punk hasn’t apologized to The Elite, even as he prepares for comeback

It’s hard for CM Punk and The Elite to mend any fences if they’ve been told not to talk to each other.

It appears to be all systems go for a CM Punk return to AEW, setting up a fascinating chapter in what’s already been a wild story even by pro wrestling standards.

In his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), Dave Meltzer’s update on the situation is in line with what other insider are reporting. Punk is expected to return in June, coinciding with the launch of a new Saturday night show tentatively titled AEW Collision.

Punk will be the big name on that show, while the talent he called out, then fought during the infamous night of All Out 2022, The Elite (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) will stay on AEW Dynamite — effectively creating the type of brand split WWE has in place (though its adherence to it varies over time) with Raw and SmackDown.

If this arrangement comes to pass, it still leaves a number of questions unanswered. Will AEW be running twice as many TV tapings indefinitely? What happens at pay-per-views when, presumably, big names from both programs need to be on the card? Will AEW create another “world” championship?

But the one that hovers above all of them is simple: Why don’t Punk and The Elite just try to work things out so none of this is necessary?

Meltzer has an update on that front as well, suggesting that the two sides haven’t talked, but possibly because Punk was instructed not to do so.

Regarding the meeting scheduled to try and smooth out issues with Tony Khan, C.M. Punk, FTR and Chris Jericho, there’s nothing new on that and we were told it had not taken place as of press time. As of the weekend there was no resolution to the situation and there are many situations and things involved. Since I’ve been asked about this a lot, Punk has not apologized or attempted to make any direct amends to the Young Bucks, although those close to him said that’s because he’s been told not to have any contact with them and without any contact he couldn’t. Nobody has said he would if he could or he wouldn’t, because there are people who want everyone to make amends and that was suggested by many of at least an attempt at a way.

It’s not clear who would tell Punk not to reach out to The Elite, though the guess would be CEO and GM Tony Khan would be involved in some way. Given everything that’s gone down to this point, it’s understandable that Khan wouldn’t want back channel communication between Punk and Omega/The Bucks considering all that’s at stake.

On the other hand, brokering an “official” meeting would also make a ton of sense. If there’s any way for some of the biggest, most recognizable names to mainstream audiences to work together on the cusp of starting up a new weekly show, this is the time to explore it.

The expectation is that AEW will officially announce Punk’s return and the debut of AEW Collision ahead of time, so all eyes are now on whether that proves to be the case. What’s said — or not said — during those announcements will be interesting to dissect to determine if the trajectories of the main players in the All Out brawl will cross paths or not.

Report: ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, AEW discussing contract extension

Page’s buddies in The Elite are also in the process of negotiating new deals.

It’s difficult to dispute how valuable “Hangman” Adam Page is to AEW.

While not part of the ‘pillar’ storyline, Page has been a stalwart since day one. He has wrestled in the first AEW World Championship match, headlined events with other top stars, become one of the brand’s most popular faces, and even held the title for a time.

The last four years raised Page from known quantity to wrestling star. When it’s time for a wrestling company to retain those types, it will cost a penny or two. That’s the stage AEW is at with Page.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), Page and AEW are working towards a new contract. Negotiations started “fairly recently,” but there’s no timetable for when the two sides will finalize a deal.

AEW faces a critical juncture as Fightful Select also notes that Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are negotiating new deals. These four, who were among the original AEW signings, still hold key positions on the roster, so losing any of them would be detrimental. Like Page, Omega and the Young Bucks have headlined shows and been involved in some of AEW’s biggest moments.

Plus, with CM Punk’s likely return, it can’t hurt to keep the talent who had the biggest squabbles with him happy. Punk, Omega and the Young Bucks infamously fought after All Out 2022, so there’s no telling what animosity remains between both parties.

Meanwhile, Page most recently reunited with Omega and the Young Bucks for a feud with the Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, and Wheeler Yuta). It seems logical for a match to happen at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, on Sunday, May 28. Perhaps the contract finalizes ahead of time so it doesn’t loom at one of AEW’s biggest shows of the year.

Who CM Punk will likely work with first when he’s back in AEW

Hint: It’s not The Elite.

The CM Punk return to AEW is far enough along in the planning stages that the company’s broadcast partner has been informed that he’s on the way back soon.

That’s one of the interesting tidbits in the latest update from Wrestling Observer’s Andrew Zarian, who has tracking the story closely from the start. Zarian said Sunday on Wrestling Observer Radio that “Warner has been told he’s coming back.”

Zarian and others continue to report that Punk’s comeback will coincide with the launch of a new Saturday night prime time show, tentatively titled AEW Collision. The idea is that some talent will be exclusive to that show or brand, similar to the way that WWE does with its Raw and SmackDown rosters (though in practice, WWE’s brand split is mostly for show).

The idea behind a talent split in AEW would be to keep Punk separate from anyone who doesn’t want to work with him, or vice versa. At this point, that seems to apply mostly to The Elite — Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks — who were at the heart of Punk’s now legendary verbal explosion and subsequent physical altercation after All Out last year.

So if not The Elite, which would be the Punk program that would draw the most money and mainstream fan interest, then who would he work with upon his return? According to Zarian, it will likely be Chris Jericho.

I’ve heard this from multiple people and the way it was alluded to me is that the program will probably be Punk and Jericho in some capacity. I don’t know if FTR is involved or Jericho’s society’s involved but you know what? That’s a very smart way to do this. Jericho has presented himself as a locker room leader, Jericho came out and said he’s toxic or whatever he said, and he’s willing to make this work because he realizes that there’s money in this.

It’s worth noting that this could mark a change of heart for Jericho. Fightful Select (subscription required) cited sources last fall that suggested he approached Punk after the All Out incident and called him “a cancer to the locker room, and a detriment to the company.”

One thing that all insiders agree on is that Jericho’s leadership helped AEW tremendously during some turbulent times over the last year. He’s also plenty savvy to see when there is money to be made by all involved, so the idea of him putting aside whatever personal feeling he might have about Punk to work with him isn’t hard to envision.

He also remains one of AEW’s biggest and most recognizable names. The same is true of Punk, and if they end up in a program together on the new Saturday night show, it’s not a bad way for AEW to kick it off with a bang.

Report: Chicago Dynamite potential spot for CM Punk AEW return

Two things to watch are whether AEW announces Punk’s return ahead of time and who ends up working with him — or doesn’t.

It’s been starting to feel over the past few weeks that it was more of a question of when CM Punk would pop up again in AEW than if. The always polarizing star has been out of action due to injury and suspension since last September, but he could finally return just a few months from now — and in his hometown.

The latest report from Fightful Select (subscription required but definitely worth the $5 a month), which has been tracking Punk’s situation closely, suggests that the June 21 episode of AEW Dynamite, which is set for Wintrust Arena, could be the time and place for his return.

What we’ve learned since then is as of April 13, the working plan has been for CM Punk to return at that show, or at the very least around it. There were also pitches of announcing it well ahead of time, even around the Warner Upfronts.

Punk set in motion one of the most fascinating chain of events in pro wrestling last year following All Out on Sep. 4. During the post-event press conference, he tore into Hangman Adam Page and The Elite in an incendiary, profanity-laced outburst. That led to an actual fight pitting Punk and friend/trainer Ace Steel against Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

While AEW never made a public announcement, most of those involved were suspended for varying lengths of time (or in Steel’s case, dismissed from the company). Everyone else has come back to the fold over time, except Punk — who was also injured at the show, and wouldn’t have been able to wrestle until early 2023 anyway.

There has been continuous speculation about whether AEW and Punk would find a way to work together again or he would be released, with the former appearing more and more likely as time dragged on. Punk, through friend and fellow AEW wrestler Dax Harwood, has made it known he’d like to resume wrestling.

The questions then become which AEW talent is willing to work with Punk for the sake of making money and who simply isn’t able to put the whole ordeal behind them. Fightful Select has noted several times that it remains unclear if The Elite would work with Punk, a situation complicated by the fact that Omega and the Young Bucks have contracts said to expire this year.

Today’s report says that there is “a meeting planned between CM Punk and Chris Jericho,” who has been one of Punk’s bigger critics during his suspension — and obviously one of AEW’s biggest names. The suspicion is that he’d do what’s best for business, including working in programs with Punk if AEW CEO and GM Tony Khan asked him to do so.

It’s possible that other top AEW talents are engaging in their own kind of silent protest over Punk’s impending homecoming. A popular online theory is that the Blackpool Combat Club, and Jon Moxley in particular, pushed for their current feud with The Elite precisely so they’d be unavailable to work with Punk this summer.

And there’s still another possibility that Fightful Select also touches on, which is a WWE-esque soft split between Dynamite and AEW’s upcoming Saturday night show. That would allow Punk to be kept effectively apart from anyone who preferred not to interact with him, though there are some risks to that strategy as well.

To get the biggest bang for its buck, it seems logical for AEW to announce Punk’s return ahead of time, as it would undoubtedly draw in people who don’t watch Dynamite on a regular basis. Until it does, it’s best to keep that June 21 Dynamite circled on your calendar just in case.

Would a CM Punk AEW return make sense if he’s kept separate from The Elite?

Siloing CM Punk and The Elite away from each other could work, but it would be a risk for AEW.

There doesn’t appear to be much question that CM Punk wants to return to wrestling. He’s hinted at it repeatedly during the time that he’s been suspended from AEW following the legendarily infamous post-All Out brawl with The Elite, and FTR’s Dax Harwood, one of Punk’s closer friends on the roster, has said repeatedly that he misses wrestling and the fans.

The hope for many was that while there might be understandable long term grudges held over what happened last year, that everyone involved would out them aside for the sake of making money. Any angle that would see Punk and The Elite face off would figure to draw intense interest even from people who don’t regularly follow AEW, and Harwood has even suggested that Punk and FTR vs. The Elite would be perfect for the company’s upcoming arena show at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Still, there’s another possibility that might also work: What if Punk returns to AEW but is kept away from The Elite altogether?

That prospect was raised in the latest Punk update from Fightful Select (subscription required), which suggests that the wrestler himself would be up for it if that’s what it took.

Punk has also expressed his willingness to return to work for All Elite Wrestling and keep completely separate from the Elite along the way. There were some talent that were of the belief that the rumored upcoming Saturday AEW show could be used to help facilitate that with some separation to the AEW roster, but that’s not something higher ups in AEW have confirmed to us.

AEW has a roster big enough to pull this off, and the Saturday show Fightful alludes to has been rumored to be in the works for some time. Assuming it has a higher profile than Rampage (which currently isn’t that high a bar to clear), it could give both Punk and The Elite room to shine apart from each other. The benefits of getting a proven draw and merchandise mover like Punk back into the mix are pretty clear.

The downsides also seem obvious. Keeping the parties from the All Out brawl apart runs the risk of fracturing the AEW locker room and making wrestlers feel like they are picking a side. Is it worth it to take that chance while simultaneously knowing that the biggest money angle that could come from Punk’s return is off the table?

That’s just one of the facets AEW CEO and GM Tony Khan would have to ponder if he were to seriously entertain the idea. At age 44, Punk is running out of time for one last hurrah in the pro wrestling business. Some of that is his own fault, but now that it appears he wants to make it happen, the question of whether it will be beside the people that inspired him to air such public grievances at All Out remains one of the most intriguing in the industry, and will stay that way until it gets resolved.

CM Punk puts Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho on blast in now deleted Instagram post

Among other things, Punk accused Moxley of refusing to lose to him ahead of All Out 2022.

In his now infamous post-All Out press conference, CM Punk put The Elite and Hangman Adam Page on blast. As it turns out, his issues may have run further through the locker room than just those four men.

Punk posted a fairly lengthy explanation of his side of the build up to All Out 2022 to Instagram in a post that has since been deleted. In addition to Jon Moxley, who he accused of “refusing to lose to me,” he also criticized AEW boss Tony Khan, Chris Jericho and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

SIGH. I wasn’t cleared to come back to wrestle yet. Then plan was to wrestle at the ppv. I sat and listened to Moxley’s Rocky three idea. I explained how I’d never seen a Rocky movie and thought the idea sucked but if the boss wanted to do it whatever. He said he wouldn’t lose to me. I’d never experienced someone refusing to lose to me. I just laughed. I asked Tony if this was what he wanted. He said yes. He’s the boss so I said okay but I’d need to be cleared first. They kept saying it could just be a squash so I didn’t need to be cleared. I scoffed at that. My health is more important. Dave Meltzer is a liar. Jericho is a liar and a stooge. There were plans but plans always change but I’ll never put a company above my health ever again.

His post appeared to be in response to something Meltzer said on the Wrestling Observer message board:

For additional context, it’s important to remember what did happen. Punk originally won the AEW World Championship by defeating Page at Double or Nothing last May. But he injured himself while teaming with FTR on Dynamite a few days later, and an interim champ needed to fill in during the summer — which ended up being Moxley.

Punk returned in August but was defeated in a match to unify the belts in a shockingly short match with Moxley. The title came back to Punk at All Out, shortly before the press scrum heard ’round the world.

Regardless of which side of Punk’s ongoing beef with people in AEW one tends to fall on, one thing that resonates from this post is his emphasis at the end: “I’ll never put a company above my health ever again.” A dispute over working under conditions he found unhealthy was at the core of his messy split with WWE in 2014, and it’s understandable that he wouldn’t want to find himself in a similar situation.

Despite that, Punk is certainly testing the limits of how many times someone can call out people from a company without completely burning bridges. Time will tell if and where he wrestles again, but this latest post makes it feel increasingly unlikely that he’ll return to a place where he obviously still has unresolved issues.

Kenny Omega on CM Punk-Elite drama: ‘I’d encourage people to let it go’

Omega also reminds us that at the end of the day, pro wrestling is a collaborative effort to entertain people.

Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks are back in AEW as of Full Gear, and they’re ready to put their post-All Out altercation with CM Punk and subsequent suspensions behind them. Not only that, but they’re encouraging fans to do the same.

AEW has never spoken publicly about what happened after All Out, and as Omega told Justin Barrasso of SI, no one is ever likely to get into the specifics of that night. With that in mind, Omega is suggesting that fans take the advice of the famous song from “Frozen” when it comes to all the behind the scenes drama.

“There are things no one can talk about, so I’d encourage people to let it go,” Omega said. “It doesn’t change that we want a team effort in AEW. I don’t even mean implicitly myself and my opponent. It also means the referee, the fans, the people who set up the ring, everyone — even a technical error can ruin the memory of a match. I can refer back to the exploding barbed wire death match. So I encourage people to move away from it because there is no information to be released. Though I cannot talk about it, I do want the fans to know I still want the best for pro wrestling.”

Omega’s point could very well apply to wrestling fans as a whole. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even when there are personality clashes and other issues, wrestlers are ultimately working in a collaborative effort to entertain people.

“This isn’t Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks against CM Punk,” Omega said. “It is people trying to show off their craft. You can boo Kenny Omega, or the Young Bucks, or CM Punk, but I hope people don’t forget we’re human beings struggling to show our art.”

Omega and the Bucks will get another chance to show off their craft this Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite, when they will take on Death Triangle in the second match of their best-of-seven series for the AEW World Trios Championship.