The Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation officially announced AEW: Collision on Wednesday, after months of speculation. The show will launch on Saturday, June 17, and air Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. ET.
Interestingly, the press release for Collision advertised AEW wrestlers who will “headline” the show, some of whom have been absent from programming in 2023: Thunder Rosa, Miro, Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Andrade El Idolo.
Hobbs has maintained a constant presence on AEW programming, including claiming the TNT Championship. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe has been a consistent figure on Ring of Honor, so joining Collision gives him the opportunity to reach a much bigger audience again.
Miro returned to AEW programming on May 10, marking his first appearance since All Out 2022. While he worked some non-wrestling gigs during this time, Fightful Select (subscription required) previously reported that no creative was pitched for his return. Obviously, with two hours of television to fill, it opened this opportunity for him.
Fightful Select reported in April that Rosa, who has been out of action since All Out, may need back surgery, while El Idolo has been sidelined since November with a torn pectoral muscle. Both seemed far away from returning to the ring anytime soon.
Like Miro, however, Rosa returned on the May 10 episode of Dynamite to enter Tony Khan’s office for an unknown reason. With one month until Collision debuts, Rosa’s status could undoubtedly change.
One thing that stood out, however, was the glaring omission of CM Punk. Rumors of his return to AEW for Collision have been circulating for a long time, and it’s no surprise that his return wasn’t announced in a press release. However, it wouldn’t be shocking if his comeback was revealed sooner than later to piggyback off today’s news.
With reports of AEW executing a hard brand split, it seems these wrestlers will be the faces of Collision. The company’s large talent pool will undoubtedly welcome more names as the hype for this new show’s premiere starts.