Tony Khan namedrops CM Punk amidst his AEW departure rumors

AEW president Tony Khan recently referenced absent star CM Punk in an interview, making it the only time the "Straight Edge Superstar" has been mentioned since the alleged "Brawl Out" incident following the All-Out media scrum.

Punk has been away from All Elite Wrestling since September 2022, with numerous reports swirling around the internet regarding what his next move will be.

One thing that has been evident is the fact that Punk has pretty much been erased from AEW, with the only reference to him on TV being a brief clip of him on the "Title Tuesday" edition of Dynamite and the advertisement for the AEW video game which has Punk on the front cover.

The Nu Geekz

@TheNuGeekz

Kenny Omega vs CM Punk in the FIGHT FOREVER video game. The fact that we might not get this in real life is a shame. #AEWFightForever #AEW

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Kenny Omega vs CM Punk in the FIGHT FOREVER video game. The fact that we might not get this in real life is a shame. #AEWFightForever #AEW https://t.co/6bMUwo6rCw

One person who has rarely mentioned him anywhere on any platform is AEW president Tony Khan. However, in a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Khan mentioned CM Punk when reeling off a list of former ROH World Champions.

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“We’ve demonstrated the great history of the [Ring of Honor] Championship. Of course, Chris [Jericho] is the champion now, but there have been a lot of great Ring of Honor champions. Some of the big names that have held the title, and some of the great former champions, include AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Claudio Castagnoli, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and many others." (H/T Inside the Ropes)

Could the relationship between AEW and Punk be on its way to a full recovery? Only time will tell!

CM Punk's long-time friend turned rival made his AEW return on Dynamite

One person who has been noticeably absent from AEW since CM Punk's arrival in August 2021 is a former member of The Dark Order, Colt Cabana. However, that all changed when Cabana made his triumphant return to Dynamite this past week.

Cabana was revealed as Chris Jericho's mystery opponent on the most recent episode of AEW Dynamite, challenging for the ROH World Championship in the process.

Bertrand Soupe

@bertybii

Colt Cabana lmao. Pretty much telling us CM Punk is done in AEW without telling us. Stupid af in my honest opinion. Reeks of unnecessarily burning a bridge #AEWDynamite

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Colt Cabana lmao. Pretty much telling us CM Punk is done in AEW without telling us. Stupid af in my honest opinion. Reeks of unnecessarily burning a bridge #AEWDynamite

Despite his best efforts, it was Jericho who came out on top, nailing his signature "Judas Effect" elbow to secure the win and a fourth successful defense of his ROH World Championship.

Were you happy to see Colt Cabana back in AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!

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