The question is will CM Punk return to AEW television after he’s cleared? As for the answer, it seems to be “Who knows?” However, it’s been months after the All Out press conference where Punk delivered a fairly casual pipe bomb which was directed more at the Young Bucks and the ensuing brawl. As Dave Meltzer pointed out on the recent Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW the brand caught some strays in the press conference as well.
Will We See CM Punk in AEW After He’s Cleared – The 8-Ball Says “Unlikely”
Obviously, it wasn’t a good look for AEW which has national TV deals and access to sizeable venues for its bigger shows. Fortunately, the company dodged the “If this is the kind of ship you’re running, we don’t want to board” attitude that could’ve gone down because of the public brawl.
Meltzer said that while AEW’s television ratings haven’t been anything to write home about post-Punk and fans expect him to return as a result, it’s all up to Tony whether we’ll see the former two-time AEW World champion again.
“Tony’s gonna do what Tony’s gonna do and I don’t know what that’s going to be. There’s a lot of damage there to the brand. It wasn’t just like he yelled at The Young Bucks. It was the brand. I mean he basically said that AEW is second-rate.” (h/t f4wonline)
CM Punk hasn’t indicated that he’s ready to bounce on AEW in the months since he’s been off television nor has there been any contract activity of note. Also, there’s been no attempt from either side of the All Out fight to bury the hatchet.
So, it’s leaning heavily towards “unlikely” but wrestling is the poster child for “Never say never” as stranger things have happened.
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