AEW Collision is set to kick off on June 17th, with the premiere episode airing from Chicago. Despite the general excitement surrounding the new show, ticket sales have not been great thus far.
However, there is a very simple way to ensure that Collision is a success, and it has been staring AEW and Tony Khan in the face all along.
The general consensus amongst the wrestling world is that Collision is AEW's way of keeping The Elite and CM Punk separate, even if Tony Khan wants fans to believe otherwise. The issue with this is that a feud between the Brawl Out participants is what fans really want to see, and it could be the easiest way for the company to make boatloads of money.
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The reality of the situation is that the best on-screen rivalries often stem from off-screen tension. It is up to the participants involved to be professionals and sort out their issues for the sake of good business. Vince Russo summed it up best while speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo podcast:
"I worked in the business when there was a lot of heat with a lot of people. I can tell you that's the best television because the emotions are real. Jarret-Angle, emotions are real. Scott Steiner-Ric Flair. Bret-Shawn. Whenever I knew there was a personal issue as a writer, I was all over it because, as professionals, I'm also expecting, guys, do you wanna make money or not?" [From 02:15 to 02:54]
Check out the video down below:
Additionally, Kenny Omega has stated that he and The Young Bucks have moved on from the entire All Out 2022 ordeal, and CM Punk has gone about making amends with several AEW personnel. The best-case scenario for everyone involved is to take this real-life situation and make a story out of it, not only satisfying the fans but also drawing a line underneath this saga.
Latest reports indicate that the heat has died down in AEW
It comes as no surprise that CM Punk ruffled a lot of feathers during the post-All Out 2022 media scrum. So much so, in fact, that it was even reported that several members of the locker room were threatening to leave the promotion should The Second City Saint be brought back into the fray.
However, more recent reports indicate that this is no longer the case. While there are still individuals that would rather have nothing to do with CM Punk, the heat has definitely cooled off.
This then opens the door for the former AEW Champion to work with more wrestlers and start working his way back into their good books. Of course, not everyone will be open to this. But the fact that time has seemingly healed many of the glaring wounds is a positive sign for the future of the company.