After being absent for several months due to his comments at the All Out media scrum and subsequent backstage altercation with The Elite, CM Punk’s AEW return is imminent.
Punk’s return to the promotion was first mentioned, and it was initially thought that it would take place on the Chicago edition of AEW Dynamite on June 21.
AEW may have a plan that will please those who dislike Punk by putting him on the Saturday show. As a result, the rosters of the two shows are separated.
The date, according to Dave Meltzer’s report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, was moved up to coincide with the anticipated debut of AEW’s new Saturday show, AEW Collison, which is reportedly scheduled to air on June 17 in Chicago.
Meltzer said, “As things stand right now, the return of C.M. Punk is scheduled for a 6/17 show at the United Center in Chicago, which being a Saturday night show, is likely the debut of the new weekly show.”
Meltzer stated that the decision to bring Punk back was made several weeks ago, though there was a snag two weeks ago that was apparently worked out. According to Meltzer, Punk was considered “extremely important” in making the deal, and multiple people have claimed that Warner Bros. Discovery wanted Punk to star in the Saturday show, but others have apparently been told otherwise.
Regarding the significance of the deal, Meltzer wrote, “If AEW only makes what Discovery has been paying for first run shows as a general rule ($500,000 per hour in general is what Discovery pays for first-run programming), that’s $52 million per year and that’s a game changing financial deal for AEW.”
Meltzer went on to say that while the deal for AEW’s new show has not been finalized, an official announcement is expected soon, and the United Center has been reserved.
