CM Punk’s AEW return is tentatively being planned according to reports.
AEW Dynamite featured the return of Jeff Hardy last night, but that may not be the only controversial return this spring.
As whispers of a CM Punk return continue to grow louder, the polarizing former two-time AEW world champion could be close to an improbable comeback. Per Fightful Select (h/t Wrestling Inc), Punk’s return is tentatively being planned for the June 21, 2023 broadcast of AEW Dynamite.
“I talk to Punk almost every day, and Punk misses wrestling. That’s your headline. Punk misses wrestling, and Punk wants to come back. And he wants to give back to the fans, he wants to get back to wrestling so I’ll leave it at that,” said Dax Harwood on a recent edition of his “FTR” podcast.
Harwood went on to note that Punk was open to working with The Elite. Harwood and Wheeler formed a close bond with CM Punk during his time in AEW. They even named their trios team CMFTR before Punk went down with injury and later imploded.
Punk has not appeared on AEW programming since All Out in September 2022, when he went scorched-earth during an infamous AEW media scrum. Though Harwood noted CMFTR vs. The Elite would be a “dream match,” it could quickly turn into a nightmare as tensions between Punk and the Young Bucks remain unresolved.
Tony Khan and AEW have been radio silent in regards to the nuclear backstage feud between CM Punk and The Elite. Khan’s lack of information made for a very awkward interview with Ariel Helwani, which gave way to a social media feud between the two. The Young Bucks’ return and fallout from the backstage brawl in Chicago was the subject of the premiere episode of “AEW All Access.” Still, details remained few and far between. Nick Jackson—who was allegedly struck with a chair during the wild scene—simply stated “I don’t want to talk about it.”
AEW recently booked the massive Wembley Stadium for its forthcoming All In event on August 27. Though AEW could fill up half the stadium and still be considered a success, Tony Khan did not book one of the biggest and most iconic venues in the world to be a glass half-full.
In Khan’s endless quest to be seen as viable competition to WWE, the closer All In comes to SummerSlam’s 79,127 tickets sold in 1992 (though WWE reported a figure of 80,355), the better. But in the wrestling business, the downside of AEW’s attempt to pack Wembley Stadium are the risks it feels it has to take. In addition to Hardy, who has a long history of substance abuse issues, CM Punk’s own backstage baggage will immediately make for a more tense locker room.
AEW viewership has stagnated in 2023 as last night’s broadcast of AEW Dynamite garnered 866,000 viewers. AEW was routinely doing over one million viewers during CM Punk’s run from 2021 to 2022. Punk’s return will, at the very least, lead to an initial spike in interest and viewership. But the question remains: At what cost?
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Alfred Konuwa