The first episode of Collision, which airs at the United Center on June 17, will feature CM Punk’s return to All Elite Wrestling.
Given that the show is centered on the former AEW World Heavyweight Champion, AEW will need to hit a home run with the opening episode to set the tone for the future.
Punk’s return was confirmed on Wednesday’s Dynamite, several months after reports began to circulate that he was on his way back, only for the announcement to be delayed due to Ace Steel’s status.
Due to a disagreement between Punk and AEW regarding the reinstatement of Steel, Punk was excluded from the AEW Collision announcement. All parties involved ultimately reached an agreement.
To avoid conflicts with the talent at Collision shows, Steel will work remotely.
The two will be involved in the show’s creative process, according to Dave Meltzer’s report in the most recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It should be noted that all of the top performers in AEW have significant creative control over their television work.
Meltzer wrote, “The belief is Punk and Ace Steel will be heavily involved in the creative of the show. At least they will be for Punk’s stuff and the main angles and storyline on the show will revolve around him and obviously he’ll have great input into that.”
Punk has also been announced for additional upcoming events by All Elite Wrestling.
