CM Punk Return Positions AEW For White-Hot Run It Planned A Year Ago

On May 29, 2022, in Las Vegas, CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship. The following Wednesday on television, MJF delivered his own version of Punk's pipe bomb, a work-shoot in which he walked out of the company in-storyline to play off rumors of tensions with management over a new contract.

Punk's title win and MJF's story arc positioned AEW for the most captivating period in its then-three year history. The promotion was white-hot.

Then luck spiraled.

Punk broke his foot that week, which would cost him his entire summer. Bryan Danielson suffered an injury in the same week that would shelf him for over two months. Adam Cole experienced concussion symptoms later that month, putting him out of action for nine months. Kenny Omega was still recovering from a litany of injuries at the time.

AEW planned to proceed with MJF's hiatus. But not at the same time as Punk, Danielson and Cole. For much of last summer, AEW was without the four and Omega, perhaps the five biggest stars in the company.

On Sept. 4, 2022, in Chicago, Punk returned for his first real match since injury (he had a squash match with Jon Moxley two weeks prior). He won the AEW Championship again. As he celebrated, MJF's music hit. MJF returned to challenge Punk for the title. Hours earlier, Omega appeared in his first PPV match in nearly a year. He and his Elite brethren, The Young Bucks, won the first-ever trio title.

Alas, Omega, Punk, and MJF were back.

Then luck spiraled anew.

That night, Punk appeared bloodied in a post-show news conference in which he buried The Young Bucks, Adam Page, Colt Cabana and the wrestling media. Punk's comments were not part of a storyline. They were personal. The scrum then incited a real-life backstage brawl between Punk and The Elite.

Suspensions for all four performers ensued. Punk also tore his triceps tendon off the bone in his match earlier in the night.

AEW had finally returned MJF, Punk, and Omega. Yet the latter two would then disappear again.

Omega reappeared months later after the conclusion of an investigation into the melee. Punk would not. First, he had to nurse his injury. But if he'd return upon injury remained unclear.

Speculation and reports about Punk's future continued for months, often muddying AEW's world case in-ring performances.

On June 17, 2023, in Chicago, CM Punk returned again. This past weekend, he starred as the face of AEW's new weekly program, Saturday Collusion.

Punk was out for 10 months this time. And the reaction was as galvanic as when he debuted in the company in 2021 after almost a decade away from the industry.

The crowd response tells all:

Punk entered the ring with a red bag. In it held the AEW Championship that he won in September and never lost. He teased a down-the-road feud with current champ MJF.

“The last time you saw me with my tricep meat hanging down, I held what’s in this bag above my head. It is not because I deserve it. It’s mine because I earned it. And it’s not mine because I had ‘the best dog-collar match,’ it’s mine because I won the dog collar match," Punk said in reference to his acclaimed dog collar match with MJF.

In the same promo, he jabbed The Young Bucks, calling himself "the one true genuine article in a business filled with counterfeit Bucks." 

It's unclear if the reference to the Bucks will manifest into a program. The incident between Punk and The Elite would make any on-screen feud the biggest money match in wrestling.

That said, Punk told ESPN last week he was informed the incident will not make its way into the show, given the legal ramifications and hard feelings.

That's at least what he says...

And that's what makes AEW so intriguing. The uncertainty. The fantasy booking. The drama. The speculation.

And the personnel.AEW's stars are finally healthy and back on TV at once. The AEW roster is loaded top to bottom, with past, present, and future stars.

Currently, AEW employs the best talker, MJF, and worker, Omega, in the business.

Whether Punk and The Elite can mend fences, there are now two live weekly programs on which can they perform separately.

(Don't tell Ariel Helwani, a slimy creature who detests AEW owner Tony Khan and UFC President Dana White for not being nice to him.)

As challenging as the past year was for AEW, it also proved its sustainability. That's Tony Khan's greatest accomplishment to date.

The flagship Dynamite program won most Wednesday nights last summer without Punk, MJF, Danielson and Omega. Few three-year-old promotions could withstand the loss of its leading draws. AEW did.

The show obviously placed lower during the fall and winter because of the NBA competition, though still ranked among the top 10 shows on cable most weeks.

The media and fans get caught up in AEW vs. WWE. The truth is, it doesn't matter which promotion is hotter or gets more star ratings. The question was always one-fold:

Could AEW build a successful business in which WWE owns a substantial market share?

The question is answered.

Between weekly television, potential streaming, and pay-per-views, AEW should warrant a nine-figure-a-year broadcast deal.

This summer, AEW will debut in London for an All In special that has reportedly sold roughly 65,000 tickets with a gate of nearly $9 million gate with record first-day sales. The interest is substantial and the brand has yet to announce a single match for the show.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has the option to renew AEW properties at year-end. AEW would add value to various other partners, particularly Paramount with its cable and streaming services.

Though WBD investing further into the company with a third weekly show, Collision, suggests AEW will stay with TNT/TBS beyond 2023 -- following what should be the white-hot run it planned a year ago.

Written by
Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.