CM Punk Reportedly Pulled From AEW Collision Announcement Due To Ace Steel Situation

Wednesday was already set to be a big news day with the official announcement at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfronts event of the new "AEW Collision" TV show airing Saturday nights on TNT, but it got confusing when it was discovered that CM Punk was removed from the press release. Early Wednesday evening, PWInsider reported that there is indeed more to this story: that Punk may indeed be out of the "Collision" picture because AEW didn't re-hire Ace Steel.

Per the report, the word going around the AEW locker room was that Steel, the lone "Brawl Out" participant fired over his role in the fracas, was going to be brought back to work as a "Collision" producer, only for that move to be vetoed. In Mike Johnson's words in his report, "that left Punk and AEW on opposite sides of the discussion," which resulted in Punk being pulled from the "Collision" promotional materials. Johnson also added that Impact Wrestling sources confirmed that someone in their company had made overtures to Steel "several weeks ago," but he passed on the opportunity, apparently due to lining up another job.

Steel's status as being the only one fired over "Brawl Out" is seemingly tied to him reportedly escalating the fight by throwing a chair at Nick Jackson and then, when Kenny Omega tried to restrain him, biting Omega's arm. Since Steel was in a position of authority as an AEW road agent, producer, and coach, the expectation would be that he would attempt to defuse the situation, but instead, he did the opposite. Days before the brawl, Steel had been fined for swearing on TV without permission in the segment where he, in his role as Punk's mentor and original wrestling trainer, convinced his protege to sign Jon Moxley's open contract for a shot at the AEW World Championship.