CM Punk’s AEW return: Is this a good move or a huge mistake?

CM Punk is back. Well, almost back. On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite Tony Khan delivered the most-reported news in professional wrestling by officially announcing that Punk would be headlining the first week of AEW Collision, the company’s new Saturday night show that’s set to begin on June 17.

Punk reportedly has creative control over Collision, and this will represent the first true brand split for AEW since the company launched in 2019. That’s a bold decision on its own, but today we discuss whether bringing back CM Punk is the correct move.

Face vs. Heel is our debate series about some of the biggest topics in pro wrestling. Sometimes these are deeply held beliefs, other times it’s about playing Devil’s Advocate.

FACE: CM Punk returning is a great thing for AEW — James Dator

Let’s be honest: From a story point of view AEW has felt pathetically flat since CM Punk left following All Out 2022. Putting his legendary backstage snafu with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks aside, he was a mammoth breath of fresh air to the company during his short time in AEW.

Punk just brings a different dimension to the roster. For as much shade as you can throw at the in-ring product of WWE, there’s no doubt that cutting yourself in their promo classes and training just makes guys better prepped to be major on-screen storytellers. We saw with Punk and Eddie Kingston, then again with Punk and MJF than there’s still nobody in wrestling as gifted at blending the line between realism and fiction than Punk.

I totally understand the hesitations, but if rumors are true and Collision will truly be a Punk-led program, then it’s his chance to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Paul Heyman and create something really special. It’s a great time for a brand split, because AEW’s roster was getting too big and bloated to adequately fit into two hours of live programming a week, without feeling like people were left out or not getting enough TV time.

Launching a new brand on the back of anyone else would have been near-impossible. A Punk-led show immediately makes Collision a show to watch each week. We’ll see if the long-term plan is to weave the two products back together for pay-per-views, but we’re already setting up the potential of seeing FTR and Punk vs. Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Kenta at Forbidden Door, and that’s a marquee can’t-miss type of match.

It will take a lot of time for the bad feelings between AEW brass and Punk to truly be resolved, but I hope they’re able to build some level of trust. There’s incredible potential here to get the CMFTR vs. The Elite match we dreamed of — one that would be one of the biggest in pro wrestling.

Ultimately I don’t think you make huge concessions for a talent like this very often. You don’t want AEW to go down the road of WCW. However, for Punk I think it’s worth rolling the dice. We truly could get something very special out of his return, and I’m fascinated to see what happens next.

HEEL: CM Punk’s return a large risk—JP Acosta

So, I’m not sure if everyone heard when Khan made the announcement that CM Punk was returning, there were a lot of boos. I mean, when you publicly blow up against every single boss that you have, it could rub some people the wrong way, especially in AEW where so many fans are tied to The Elite. I’m not going to touch much on the backstage rumors and such because I don’t know about everything that goes on back there, but creating an entire show for one dude just because he doesn’t get along with his bosses is a MASSIVE risk.

What I will comment on is on screen, and in the ring, where I just think AEW doesn’t need Punk anymore. If the Four Pillars match proved anything, AEW is just fine with the roster and talent that they currently have. Think about the guys who couldn’t get solo matches on the Double or Nothing card, guys like Ricky Starks, Keith Lee or Swerve Strickland who can continue to have great matches on television. Not to mention, since buying Ring of Honor, we can see more of their top guys on AEW television, like Dalton Castle. Bringing back CM Punk just feels like such a large energy vacuum that will end up taking away from all of the other talent that’s being developed on AEW television.

I also think that right now, AEW is struggling to tell stories on a consistent level, up and down the card. That problem could be fixed by adding Punk, but it could also lead to more of a Punk-focused show, where nobody else gets a time to shine. It’s a dangerously thin line to try and tiptoe. I understand the notion of bringing him back for the major show down the line, All In: London, but there are far too many risks for me to feel comfortable making this move. I am excited to see where it goes from here, but it’s a cautious excitement.