CM Punk's return still up in the air; AEW takes preventive measures - Reports

The premiere of AEW Collision on June 17 is facing uncertainty regarding CM Punk's highly anticipated return, the latest reports have revealed.

The original plan was for the event to take place at the United Center in Chicago, with Punk's comeback serving as the main attraction. However, recent developments have thrown a wrench into those plans, as Punk and AEW find themselves at odds over the role of Ace Steel.

CM Punk advocated for Steel's presence backstage at Collision, causing a fallout with AEW. As a result, Punk's return is now uncertain. Tony Khan revealed future dates and locations for Collision but postponed the announcement of the June 17 premiere location to next week.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW is working on securing Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, as a backup venue.

“They do have the United Center booked. They are working on booking Daily’s Place. In Daily’s Place, people have been told it’s a backup plan – it’s not the ‘A plan’. So Chicago is still in place. So I think that the basic thing is, they either settle it and he announces the United Center and Punk is back, or they don’t, and if they don’t, I think, from my standpoint, I think that that’s gotta be it [Punk isn’t coming back]. You should never say that because it’s never it. But this was a real bad situation, the way it went down,” Meltzer said. [H/T - Wrestletalk]

While nothing is definitive in the world of professional wrestling, the situation surrounding CM Punk's comeback has undeniably taken a contentious turn.

---

Bill Apter believes that CM Punk's AEW drama has increased his star power

Veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter believes that the recent drama surrounding CM Punk and AEW has only served to increase his star power.

During the latest episode of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, Apter said that Punk's controversial actions might be intentional, aimed at stoking anticipation for his eventual comeback.

“You know, the more he does this, the more unwelcomed he might be but the more money he’ll make for a promotion if he comes [back]. This is the internet age. People want to see him, the fans want to see him. He’s angry. He may be doing a lot of this to rile up going back somewhere.” [00:55 to 01:22]

Check out the interview below:

Despite the speculation and rumors surrounding Punk's relationship with the company, a report suggests that both parties are on good terms.

Do you want to see CM Punk come back to AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.