Report: CM Punk Trying To Make AEW Collision His “Territory”
AEW Collision drama mega-update on CM Punk, Ryan Nemeth, and more.
CM Punk is reportedly “staking out his territory on AEW Collision,” becoming “fiercely protective” of the Saturday night brand since its June inception.
This is per PWTorch’s Wade Keller, who writes that Punk has had “good reviews” for his backstage leadership on Collision, with the 44-year-old wanting to create a low-drama environment (hence why he doesn’t Elite-aligned wrestlers or those perceived as disloyal backstage at the show).
However, some wrestlers, who aren't in positions of power or on big contracts, believe they have to "lay low" around Punk, as nobody wants to be on his list of enemies.
In Punk’s eyes, Collision is reportedly an opportunity to show the leadership he has criticised AEW’s Executive Vice Presidents (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks) for failing to exhibit on Dynamite. This has led to a situation where the former AEW World Champion effectively has the power to veto anybody he doesn’t want backstage at Collision shows.
The Torch’s report follows Ryan Nemeth being ejected from last week’s broadcast in Greensboro, North Carolina. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page also had a pretaped segment shoot planned for the building moved to another location on short notice.
MORE Wrestlers Thrown Out Of Collision
Nemeth and Page aren’t the only wrestlers to be sent home from Collision lately. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Matt Hardy and AEW’s Head of Talent Relations, Christopher Daniels, had also experienced similar treatment recently.
Meltzer has since written in the Figure Four Online/Wrestling Observer Daily Update that Punk’s camp has denied responsibility for Page and Hardy’s removal from Collision events. In a direct quote to a Flagship Wrestling Podcast source, Punk has claimed 100% responsibility for Daniels and Nemeth’s situations.
Daniels was in the room when Punk and Ace Steel brawled with the Bucks and Omega after All Out 2022, helping to split up the fight. Although he was quickly reinstated following an investigation, Daniels was amongst those suspended indefinitely for the fracas.
CM Punk Vs. Ryan Nemeth - The Latest
The Torch’s report states that AEW sending Nemeth home from Collision was a direct product of his previous troubles with Punk. When Punk took a shot at the Bucks during his 17 June return promo, Nemeth tweeted “Literally the softest man alive,” leading to Punk confronting the 38-year-old backstage at the following week’s Dynamite.
Various outlets have different accounts of that confrontation. The Torch states that Punk “cornered” Nemeth, “got inches from his face, and angrily and aggressively asked if they had a problem or if they needed to settle things outside.” Punk told Nemeth that his tweet would inflame existing tensions, create bad optics, and send a poor message, with wrestlers who witnessed the confrontation describing it as “awkward and weird.”
When Nemeth moved the conversation to a hallway, Punk kept berating him. Nemeth defended his judgment in calling Punk “soft”, as he took the shots at the Bucks. In response, Punk said that Ryan’s timing was wrong - and went against the intended public image that everyone was on the same page or not trying to stoke old fires.
The Torch’s account of the situation ended on a handshake, though tension remained.
Elsewhere, Haus of Wrestling reports that Punk asked Nemeth to call him “soft” to his face during their confrontation. Nemeth declined, and Punk claimed the 38-year-old had spoken out to score points with AEW’s EVPs, trying to earn himself more television time.
While the Torch claims that Nemeth asked Punk if he shouldn’t react to things the 44-year-old says on television, with Punk agreeing this would be the right move, Haus of Wrestling states that Punk specifically asked Nemeth to stop tweeting negativity so that people could move on. Haus of Wrestling corroborated that the conversation ended with a handshake.
Punk and Nemeth “... agreed that no violence between them would be necessary,” per Haus of Wrestling.
CM Punk Marks His Territory On AEW Collision
Fightful Select, meanwhile, reports that Christopher Daniels’ absence from Collision relates to Ace Steel.
Steel was fired from his role as an AEW producer and coach post-All Out 2022, having allegedly bitten Omega during the melee, though he was brought back for Punk’s return earlier this year. Currently, Steel is working remotely and not allowed to attend Collision events. Punk sees this as unfair, as Daniels played a role at All Out too - albeit in breaking up the fight.
Fightful also writes that Punk still wants a sitdown conversation with Page, the Bucks, and Omega, who have refused these advances so far. Page is understood to be generally avoidant of the situation - and hasn’t been interested in working with Punk over the past year.
On Matt Hardy, Fightful reports that he and Isiah Kassidy were intended to be at recent Collision shows, though their travel was unbooked. They were not due to be at last week’s show, however. Talent believes that Punk is behind this, though this hasn’t been confirmed.