Breaking Down CM Punk's Impact on AEW Heading into All In 2023 After Recent Return

Credit: All Elite Wrestling

CM Punk returned to All Elite Wrestling on June 17 as the centerpiece of the company's new TNT show, Collision, amid great intrigue as to what he would say, how he would factor into the promotion's creative plans, and what his return would mean for the company and its behind the scenes environment.

Two months into the second chapter of his AEW run, there are answers to those questions, as well as a clear picture of his impact on the company entering its most significant pay-per-view event to date, All In.

The Good

There would be no Collision without Punk.

It would appear rather impossible given the form in which the show currently exists, anyway.

Punk is both the top star and its centerpiece from a creative perspective. The show has incorporated an overarching "CM Punk vs. The World" storyline in which he currently finds himself in varying degrees of feuds with Samoa Joe, "Absolute" Ricky Starks, and Bullet Club Gold.

Add in his insistence that he is the REAL world's champion and a program with AEW World champion MJF appears to be on the horizon.

Punk is the face of the Saturday night broadcast, its driving force, and a major influence on the type of show it is. Whereas Dynamite is nonstop excess, Collision is a more focused, stripped-down show that places greater emphasis on in-ring content. It is old-school in its execution, an ode to television of the territory days, with an occasional splash of new-era character.

It is clearly what Punk prefers and has been influenced by.

When you are as integral to the existence of a show, are at its forefront, and set the tone for it, your star power is obvious. Punk's star burns brighter than just about anyone else's in AEW and Tony Khan knows it.

There is a reason Punk's return to the company was announced in the same time frame that All In was. Punk, like him or not, is a draw in pro wrestling. Look no further than the million-dollar gates he was partly responsible for, the merchandise sales he drove, and his effect on television ratings.

Some will counter with Collision's recent ratings struggles and while there is certainly credibility to such an argument, it was always going to be difficult to convince wrestling fans to stay in on a Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. and devote two hours to another show when the market is already saturated with content.

Attaching Punk's name to a show elevates its significance in a way others do not.

The mood changes when Punk is involved. There is a certain gravity to the production. Unpredictability, too. It feels like a bigger deal because it is, and that can be attributed to the legitimacy he has created for himself over the course of his career.

The Chicago native has done all that there is to do in pro wrestling. He has been a world champion everywhere he has been, headlined WWE pay-per-views against John Cena, Triple H, and The Rock, and battled The Undertaker in a show-stealer at WrestleMania. He has also earned consideration as one of the most influential wrestlers of his era having inspired an entire generation of wrestlers, beginning with his work in Ring of Honor.

With a decorated resume matched by few, he carries a certain level of credibility in AEW that only the likes of Chris Jericho, Sting, and Bryan Danielson can claim. Like Punk, their influence is felt across the promotion.

Whatever Punk's storyline or promo segment contains, it feels more important than other segments that do not feature him. That is important because it attracts audiences and puts eyes not only on him but the young stars he works with that AEW hopes will form the foundation of the company's future.

It has been on full display with Starks and Bullet Club Gold's "Switchblade" Jay White, Juice Robinson, and The Gunn Club on Saturday nights.

The effect of his star power, credibility, central presence on Collision, and willingness to bring fresh talent along for the ride are among the positive examples of Punk's impact on AEW entering All In.

There are negatives, though, whether they are completely his fault or not.

The Bad

Recent reports paint the picture of a star flexing his power behind the scenes by having perceived enemies removed from the arena and others barred from the building completely during Collision tapings.

Some due to personal issues with the wrestler in question, others because of their friendship and loyalty to Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page, with whom Punk has a very storied history.

Perhaps it went down exactly as reported, but it is worth remembering that the source of Punk's frustration that ultimately resulted in his infamous All Out 2022 media scrum rant, directed at Page and the Executive Vice Presidents of the company, was self-serving coworkers leaking information with questionable legitimacy to favorable wrestling journalists.

The following video contains NSFW language.

That may not be the case in this instance, but regardless, it creates negative vibes at a time when the company is preparing for a show the magnitude of which it has never experienced.

Even with the validity of the reports unknown, it is the perception that Punk is an egotist or malcontent that creates negative headlines and distracts from the bigger story, that being a potentially record-setting, historically significant event in Wembley Stadium.

It also gives the impression, again, that the backstage environment in AEW is a mismanaged mess with no real leadership or guidance from its top brass. It continues the drama that started a year ago and has hung over the company like a pregnant, grey cloud ever since.

Yes, controversy creates cash but it can also become overkill, to the point that people grow exhausted from constantly hearing about the same, tired, and unsolved issues permeating a single company over and over again.

Unfortunately, that appears to be the scenario currently facing Punk as all of the goodwill built up in the first two months of Collision, and his concentrated attempt to create stars and provide an alternative to Dynamite, has been overshadowed by the type of high school drama he so vocally protested against following last year's All Out.

Luckily, there is plenty of time and opportunity to put the last week of noise behind both him and AEW.

Do not fuel it. Do not even acknowledge the online noise.

Focus on presenting the most effective, badass final angle with Samoa Joe ahead of their match at Sunday's All In and ensure everyone recognizes it for what it is: the latest chapter in an iconic rivalry and one of the marquee matches on the biggest card Tony Khan and Co. have ever promoted.

The alternative leads only to a negative impact on a company he almost certainly did not return to with the intent of causing.