-- It's finally official that after a nine month absence, CM Punk is headed back to AEW to headline the upcoming new Collision show that will debut later this month and air live on Saturday evenings. As per fightfulselect.com, this is a stark change from last fall when several wrestlers within AEW stated that they would leave the promotion if Punk ever returned with the big problem not being the backstage fight against the Elite but more what Punk said during the post-All Out media scrum. However, Punk apologized for his comments which went a long way to remedy the situation. Since Punk's return became imminent, there have been no further reports of anyone saying they would walk out if Punk returned so the situation has absolutely cooled off.
-- AEW for their part have taken multiple measures to ensure that the sensitive situation doesn't once again turn volatile by keeping those talent who have had issues with Punk on separate shows as part of an unofficial brand split. Punk's good friend Ace Steel was a hot topic of contention as well since he was believed to be most responsible for the fight and wasn't expected back but it appears Punk wasn't going to come back unless Steel was brought back in some capacity. The fightful report notes that multiple company sources stated that Steel's skillset was "underestimated" by a lot of people and he was seen as a valuable member of the AEW team before the All Out brawl took place, specifically his strengths as a "creative mind" and talent coach.
-- In regards to Punk's creative moving forward, there were heavy pitches at one point to have Chris Jericho work with him but nothing new has emerged since while a Samoa Joe vs. Punk storyline was also planned at some point and is likely still in the works. However, the latest word is that Punk has been impressed with the work of Switchblade Jay White and he could be one of the early opponents for Punk once Collision hits the airwaves.
