CM Punk won the AEW World Championship when he defeated Adam Page at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view, but shortly after Punk announced that he was going to have to take time off due to injury. In Punk’s absence Jon Moxley was crowned interim AEW World Champion, and Punk confronted Moxley when he made his surprise return on Dynamite earlier this week.
Fightful Select is reporting that the working plan is for CM Punk to face Jon Moxley in a title unification match at the AEW All Out pay-per-view. It was noted that the internal hope early on was for CM Punk to return in time for All Out.
There was a restricted area at the Dynamite Quake by the Lake TV tapings which most assume was for Punk’s return. It’s being said that CM Punk played the news close to the vest and word of his return was kept secret from staff and much of the roster including some of the people who were involved in the main event segment.
There’s been no word on if AEW considered bringing Punk back sooner as the company didn’t want to put him behind schedule while he was recovering from surgery.