- CM Punk is set to return to the ring on AEW: Collision after a 10-month absence.
- Punk will address past events and his injuries during an interview with ESPN.
- Both Punk and Kenny Omega have called for moving past the incident in their comments.
CM Punk is making a much-awaited return after being out of action for 10 months during the first episode of AEW: Collision, taking place in his Chicago hometown. The two-hour show will air on TNT and feature Punk teaming up with FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) to face Samoa Joe, Jay White, and Juice Robinson. Additionally, Punk will speak for the first time on AEW television since relinquishing his World Championship following a backstage brawl in September 2022.
Punk had made comments about The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega during an All Out post-event media scrum alongside AEW CEO Tony Khan. A fight involving Punk, the Bucks, Omega, and AEW producer Ace Steel erupted afterward, and both the World Championship and World Trios Championship titles were vacated. A third-party investigation was eventually launched.
Before Collision, Punk addressed the events and his injuries in an interview with ESPN. He apologized to Tony Khan for the media scrum and expressed his frustration at the time. Punk also discussed his disagreements with Hangman Adam Page, claiming that their disputed match “poisoned everything” for him and led to a confrontation after the media scrum. Punk mentioned that Khan knew of his dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation but admitted that he did not approach it correctly.
Furthermore, Punk downplayed the altercation, comparing the coverage of such incidents in other sports and describing his attitude as “s—t happens.” He expressed his willingness for a “full-blown f—king sit-down” with everyone involved in the incident but said it has not yet happened due to his lack of trying. This sentiment aligns with Omega’s earlier statement, in which he encouraged everyone to move past the incident and focus on a team effort in AEW.