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Former WWE Champion CM Punk will return to AEW programming on June 17, 2023, at the debut episode of Collision. However, the ticket sales following the announcement of his return have led certain fans to wonder if Shane McMahon could boost the gate for Tony Khan instead.
The Second City Saint has not been seen in All Elite Wrestling since September last year when he dropped his now-infamous rant during the post-All Out media scrum. While he was nursing an injury, Tony Khan allegedly suspended the former WWE Champion along with Ace Steel, the Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega.
CM Punk was always in the news despite his absence, with no clear indication of his future with AEW or wrestling in general. Those rumors were finally put to rest when Tony Khan announced on a recent episode of Dynamite that the Voice of the Voiceless will return on the premiere of Collision.
Despite the announcement, ticket sales for the subsequent episodes of Collision were not boosted. This was an unexpected development, and some fans joked that if Shane McMahon were to appear instead, the sales could be boosted more.
You can check out some of the reactions below:
Shane McMahon was reportedly fired from WWE after his involvement in the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble. However, he returned over a year later at WrestleMania 39 alongside Snoop Dogg. He faced The Miz in an impromptu match where he tore his quad muscle and was unable to continue.
Former WWE star Matt Hardy commented on CM Punk's return to AEW
Matt Hardy was one of the many people within the wrestling industry to comment on CM Punk's return.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion opened up on Tony Khan's announcement on the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast.
"CM Punk is a huge star, and him coming back is a big deal. It's going to be very interesting to see the kind of reaction he gets. When the Young Bucks were in Chicago, they were getting booed out of the building. It'll be interesting to see Punk's reaction, considering how smart the AEW fans are," Matt Hardy said. [H/T WrestlingInc]
It remains to be seen how the soft roster split will work out with respect to AEW Dynamite and Collision. However, the 6-time WWE World Champion's first feud after his return will surely pique fans' interest.
