Report: CM Punk Open To AEW Heel Turn

CM Punk made his triumphant return to All Elite Wrestling on the debut episode of Collision on June 17, receiving a heroes welcome in front of a hometown Chicago crowd.

Whilst Punk will always be loved in Chicago, reception to the controversial former AEW World Champion could be decidedly mixed elsewhere. Per a report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk is open to fully turning heel, with the idea allegedly discussed before his return in case crowd reactions were wholly negative.

Punk has had several high-profile heel runs throughout his career, with the Summer of Punk run in Ring of Honor, as well as his rivalry with Jeff Hardy in WWE, and the latter half of his WWE Championship run some of the most celebrated periods of the Second City Saint’s career. Whether he fully embraces his dark side once more in AEW remains to be seen.

Since joining AEW in 2021, Punk has consistently portrayed a babyface, although there have been glimpses of heelish tendencies during rivalries with the likes of Eddie Kingston.