Report: AEW Backstage Reaction To Ace Steel's Release Revealed

It’s been reported that Ace Steel is no longer with All Elite Wrestling, with his release seemingly tied to the recent firing of CM Punk.

Steel was rehired by AEW earlier this year reportedly at Punk’s request, and worked remotely to help produce Punk’s matches for AEW Collision. A report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter backs up PWInsider’s earlier report as to Steel’s release, with The Observer revealing the alleged backstage reaction to Steel’s release.

Steel’s release apparently surprised ‘a lot of people’ within AEW, especially as AEW prefer to let contracts expire rather than cut them short, save for a handful of instances. Despite the apparent surprise at Steel’s release, ‘everyone was aware’ that his position in the company could be jeopardised by Punk’s firing.

A former backstage producer for WWE and NXT prior to his AEW arrival, Steel famously trained CM Punk and Colt Cabana, with Steel and Punk’s real-life relationship acknowledged on AEW TV when Steel was involved on-screen with Punk in angles on Dynamite in 2022.