-- CM Punk was terminated last week by AEW and it looks like his good friend and confidante Ace Steel wasn't far behind. As per a report from PWInsider.com, Steel (real name Chris Guy) has also been released from AEW effective earlier today.
-- Steel, who initially trained Punk and Colt Cabana, was brought on board by AEW as a Coach and Producer following his release from WWE where he served as a Performance Center Coach and NXT Producer. In AEW, Steel made on-screen appearances alongside Punk leading up to the All Out 2022 PPV, during which Punk had a backstage altercation with The Elite. During this incident, Steel became physically involved and allegedly had bit Kenny Omega in the scuffle.
-- Steel was the sole individual let go by the company in the aftermath of this incident. However, he was later rehired, primarily due to Punk's influence and at first, the plan was for Steel to serve exclusively as Punk's Coach & Producer. However, when AEW Collision was set to be announced, the company made the decision that Steel would not be permitted to work physically on-site during the tapings. This led to a delay in announcing Punk's return as both parties worked out the logistics, with Steel contributing remotely via Zoom calls.
-- Over the past month, there were discussions within AEW about finding a space in Florida for Steel to continue training and working with talents. However, this plan has now obviously been shelved given his release.
