Report: Issues Between CM Punk & The Elite Considered A 'Ticking Time Bomb'

While CM Punk and Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks are largely being kept apart in All Elite Wrestling, the issues between the two sides are expected to worsen, according to a new report. 

CM Punk is expected to be largely booked on AEW Collision as the Saturday night show's top star, while The Elite will be on AEW Dynamite. The two sides won't be in the same building outside of pay-per-views like Forbidden Door on June 25 or All In on August 27. Despite both sides being kept apart, one top name in AEW left Wednesday night's episode of Dynamite in a bad mood, telling Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter they feared the situation was a "ticking time bomb that will not have a happy ending."

Meltzer recently noted that divisions within AEW had only worsened following CM Punk's interview with ESPN and return promo on the debut episode of Collision. Other reports, however, had not painted a quite so gloomy picture. 

Within the ESPN interview ahead of his return, CM Punk stated that he had tried and failed to speak to The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega about their backstage fight following All Out as he had only been met by replies from lawyers telling him not to contact them. Both sides are believed to have signed legal documents that prevent them from making disparaging comments about each other in public. Punk also noted that he was open to having a sit-down with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks to discuss what happened after All Out in September 2022. 

There have been conflicting accounts about Punk reaching out, however. A person very close to CM Punk told Dave Meltzer weeks ago that Punk wanted to reach out and was open to working with the Bucks and Omega on TV but he hadn't yet reached out because Punk wasn't allowed to get in contact with the other side. On The Elite's side, Meltzer was told that "no attempts to this day have been made." This was confirmed again to Meltzer after the ESPN interview was published. 

Meltzer added: "Essentially, either one side is simply making a story up, or one side wants to reconcile, was told you can't contact them, and the other side has never heard about it, so the problem is the decision keeping them apart."

It was noted the two sides could communicate through intermediaries, which has not happened, and the reason for the meeting with Chris Jericho that involved Punk, FTR, and Tony Khan ahead of Punk's return was allegedly done to open communication lines with The Elite. Nothing has ever been said publicly about the meeting.