‘Bizarre Situation’ On AEW Dynamite Amidst CM Punk Controversy

Fans were eagerly waiting for CM Punk’s return on the debut episode of Collision, as it marked the first time he appeared on AEW television since All Out last year. CM Punk is back in the fold, but the drama surrounding him has not stopped even now. Now it appears there was a bizarre situation on AEW Dynamite this week amidst the controversy surrounding CM Punk.

CM Punk is considered to be one of the most divisive pro wrestlers on the planet right now. In fact, Punk might have been responsible for sending non-contracted AEW talent home after last week’s episode of AEW Collision.

Reports of Ryan Nemeth getting sent home as soon as he arrived this week broke out. Nemeth was not the only AEW talent who was sent home with believed connection with CM Punk. His dispute with Nemeth stemmed from very ordinary thing as well.

AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and ROH matches were all being taped last night in Nashville, Tennessee. Usually, Ring of Honor matches are taped on the same day as Collision but this time around, there were some taped on Wednesday evening.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez talked about the ‘bizarre situation’ of having all three main shows being taped on the same night. The ROH tapings included names who had issues with CM Punk, including Ryan Nemeth, Christopher Daniels, Brandon Cutler and Colt Cabana.

This is bizarre. I don’t know what’s going on, because Ring of Honor is usually taped on Saturdays with Collision. They taped Ring of Honor tonight (after Dynamite), I don’t know why, we have a (Collision) taping this Saturday. I guess maybe it’s to get ahead because the next week there’s not gonna be any time because there’s no Saturday taping. So maybe they were just trying to get ahead. I get that.

On the taping, Ryan Nemeth wrestled, the main event was Zack Sabre Jr against Christopher Daniels. Colt Cabana appeared as a second for Brandon Cutler, he’s doing a thing where him and Brandon Cutler are together as a unit. All of these guys are never gonna be on Ring of Honor again. They’re introducing all of these guys, Colt Cabana ain’t going on…

I guess they could do that (tape some ROH stuff on Wednesdays regularly), but that makes it even more bizarre. All of those guys, wasn’t there somebody else too – it was Brandon Cutler, Christopher Daniels, Colt Cabana, Zack Sabre – just weird. Just really weird. Especially Ryan Nemeth.

“Blake Christian beat Brandon Cutler, but Colt Cabana was out with Brandon Cutler, which is the first time Colt Cabana has been… Colt Cabana had been an agent for Ring of Honor, and then he was pulled from (being) an agent (for) Ring of Honor on June 17 because of… everyone knew it was going to happen. So he had been an agent for Dynamite. So they’re taping Ring of Honor and he’s on the taping doing a comedy bit with Brandon Cutler.

So, it is weird to say the least, because again, none of these people are allowed to work Saturdays, so why are they being on Ring of Honor when they’re not gonna be back.

Maybe their matches will always be taped on Wednesdays (the people who have had issues with Punk/have been ‘banned’ from Collision), and the rest of Ring of Honor will be taped on Saturday.

That makes for a long night (on Wednesdays), because they’re already taping Rampage and two hours of Dynamite, so adding… I get adding Ring of Honor this week because, again, there’s no (Collision taping next Saturday because of All In), so they do have to tape ahead. But the idea of taping Ring of Honor on a Wednesday as a regular rule, that doesn’t make sense. That’s what Saturday’s for, is to tape Ring of Honor because there’s no other third hour of production there, where there already is on Wednesday..

So I guess we’ll have to wait and see after England how this all plays out. Everything before England is obviously to get as much content (as possible) because they don’t have that one taping. Because next week, there’s gonna be no Ring of Honor tapings at all, in theory, because they’re taping, next week in Duluth, Georgia, they’re gonna go live with Dynamite, and then they’re gonna be taping Rampage, and then Collision. So it’s a five-hour show. So there’s gonna be no time for Ring of Honor next week, so I get them taping Ring of Honor this week.

But anyway, we’ll have to watch and see how this all plays out, but this was so weird.”

It is also to be noted that AEW’s current focus right now is not on television viewership. Therefore, that would also explain no matches were announced for this Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage during AEW Dynamite’s broadcast last night. Regardless, we’ll have to see how AEW will continue to handle all the drama as we approach the All In event on August 27th.

What’s your opinion on this story? Do you believe CM Punk’s controversy is negatively affecting AEW again? Share your thoughts in the comments!