In May, Tony Khan announced that, after weeks and months of speculation, CM Punk will be a featured player on AEW: Collision when it premieres on Saturday, June 17. Punk had been a staple of AEW programming for about a year, so the company will have a headliner back for its shows and subsequent pay-per-views.
The backstage brawl at All Out infamously marred Punk’s first return, along with the subsequent press conference about the incident. Coupled with a handful of injuries, his stint ended unceremoniously.
Khan, of course, is thrilled that Punk is returning to headline Collision after nine months. Now that the news is out, AEW’s president said that the former WWE star is a “very important” part of the puzzle in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“We haven’t seen CM Punk in a long time, since All Out last September. He looked great in his last match. To the fans, he’s very important. He’s very important to the company, too. He’s been a big draw for us and historically throughout his career, and the launch of the new show happens to line up with the schedule on his rehab of his triceps injury.”
Khan also said that Collision’s timing coincided perfectly with Punk’s return from a triceps injury, allowing him to appear at the show’s premiere in Chicago.
“We have an amazing opportunity with AEW on Saturday nights on TNT, starting June 17, and it was truly the brainchild of [Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president] David Zaslav. He asked about more AEW, specifically Saturday nights, on TNT. When it was pitched to us by TNT, I was so excited. It’s so exciting the timing [of Punk’s return from injury] coincides with the launch of Collision.”
What Punk does on Collision remains unknown, but it should become clearer as the show’s premiere nears. Perhaps Khan clarifies it in his planned announcement on the June 7 episode of Dynamite.