Ace Steel breaks silence on CM Punk returning to WWE and subsequent injury: "It broke his heart"

The blockbuster WWE return of CM Punk shocked the pro wrestling world in November 2023. The last year was full of ups and downs for the Second City Saint, and now Ace Steel has opened up on his longtime friend.

The Straight Edge Superstar joined WWE in early 2005 and was one of the biggest wrestling stars when he walked out of the Stamford-based company in late January 2014. Punk felt like he needed a break, and he ended up staying away from business for the most part until Tony Khan wowed him with an AEW offer in August 2021.

Punk's AEW run and even his departure from the Jacksonville-based company were full of controversy. Steel, who also worked for Tony Khan, was involved with some of Punk's controversial issues while in the company. While speaking on a recent episode of the Casual Conversations podcast, the 51-year-old was asked how happy he was to see Punk back in WWE.

"He's back where he belongs... he's back where he belongs. I was excited, I knew... I knew it was coming at some point, that he should be there, and that they would want him. I'm just extremely happy to see him. And it's not just finishing the story...it's capping his legacy, because it's just...when he finishes the story he's not done, he's capping his legacy. He loves this business, he's always loved this business...it broke his heart, but he found the love again. And yes, he's kind of in a down-spot right now, but he's coming...he's the king of comebacks, man. So, yeah...I'm excited. I mean, it's...we're family, so to see family be happy, that's all I need," Ace Steel said. [55:46 onwards]

Steel's statement about Punk getting his heart broken is seemingly a reference to the original issues with the Stamford-based company in 2014. The former AEW World Champion recently said his "heart hurts" over missing WrestleMania 40, and he made similar comments on AEW Rampage in 2022.

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CM Punk joked about Paul Heyman's WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction

The Road to WrestleMania 40 will stop at the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Officials announced that Paul Heyman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024 this week. This will mark an appropriate induction for the Wiseman because WrestleMania 40 will be taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was the home of ECW.

Heyman has received thousands of congratulatory messages from fans, wrestlers, and others, including former clients like CM Punk. The Second City Saint took to his Instagram story to congratulate the 58-year-old legend. However, Punk also attached a photo of actor Michael Keaton, who actually resembles a young Paul Heyman.

"Congrats to @paulheyman on entry to the @wwe hall of fame!" CM Punk shared.

Check out a screengrab of Punk's Instagram story below:

The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will air live on Friday, April 5, 2024, from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The broadcast is set to begin airing on Peacock and the WWE Network right after SmackDown goes off the air on FOX from the same arena.

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Are you excited to see Paul Heyman getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024? Sound off!

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If you use any quotes from the first half of this article, please credit Casual Conversations and add a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.