Tony Khan reportedly not planning to "release" 6-time WWE World Champion from AEW anytime soon
AEW president Tony Khan seems to have got his company back on track in 2023 after a very turbulent 2022, but it seems that he has no intentions of getting rid of one of his most controversial stars despite everything being relatively calm at the time of writing.
The star in question is none other than CM Punk, who despite being away from AEW TV for over four months, has been a name that people can't seem to stop talking about.
Punk was a large reason as to why All Elite Wrestling's year went off the rails, as his foot injury over the summer derailed many plans for the Forbidden Door event. However, it was his involvement in the "Brawl Out" incident that truly brought all of AEW's momentum to a halt.
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Despite being away from the spotlight since All Out 2022, it appears that there might be hope for CM Punk fans after all. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote that Tony Khan has no intention of getting rid of the "Straight Edge Superstar."
"We’re still months away from when Tony Khan will have to make a call regarding Punk. It’s not the easiest call because of all that happened, but Punk was a ratings draw and ratings are weaker than before generally even if there’s positive house show movement. Right now from the Punk side, the belief is that Tony Khan has put Punk on ice for now, as there are no ideas to use him that have been presented but no talk at all of late to release him either.” (H/T WrestleTalk)
Punk suffered a serious arm injury during his match at All Out against Jon Moxley, meaning that even if the controversy surrounding his altercation with The Elite didn't happen, he wouldn't be on TV anyway.
Tony Khan was able to briefly talk about the former AEW World Champion in a recent interview
While everyone involved in the "Brawl Out" incident received either suspensions or, in Ace Steel's case, releases, the one person who fans still don't know the punishment for is CM Punk.
Tony Khan has been extremely quiet on the subject of Punk in recent months, but he did recently acknowledge the impact the "Straight Edge Superstar" has had on his company.
CM Punk signed his AEW contract just 30 minutes before Rampage “The First Dance” started.
- ESPN https://t.co/WJp6xf4Wfv
This praise for CM Punk is one of the only times since "Brawl Out" took place that Khan has openly talked about his former world champion, leading some fans to believe that there may be a return for Punk on the horizon.
Do you think CM Punk will be back in AEW? Let us know what you think in the comments section down below!