AEW Doesn't Need CM Punk, AJ Styles Swerve at Night of Champions, More Quick Takes

All Elite Wrestling is about to kick off its most important summer season to date, and already it appears some inner turmoil could cause the focus to shift where it shouldn't be.

The pending return of CM Punk has been a hot topic among fans for months and has been specifically tied to the premiere of AEW Collision in June. His status for the show remains unclear following its official announcement last week, but the last eight months have proved he isn't vital to the company's success.

Meanwhile, WWE is less than a week away from crowning the inaugural world heavyweight champion at Night of Champions. Although Seth Rollins remains the clear favorite, his recent role in a Marvel movie might indicate an AJ Styles swerve is coming instead.

WWE can't go wrong with either of them holding the gold given how long they've both been absent from the top title picture. The unpredictability surrounding the outcome will only add to the guaranteed greatness their match is bound to bring once the bell rings.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into the possibility of Styles securing the newly created title, the brilliant storytelling behind The Elite's reunion, Ronda Rousey's Raw return falling flat, and more.

AJ Styles Winning World Heavyweight Title Would Be An Appropriate Swerve

From the moment the World Heavyweight Championship was introduced by Triple H in April, Seth Rollins immediately felt like the perfect fit for the title before a bracket could even be announced.

He's still the strongest candidate to come out on top in the tournament finals against AJ Styles at Night of Champions on Saturday, but missing Raw two weeks in a row has left fans wondering whether WWE will want to put the belt on someone who may not be around as much if other acting opportunities were to arise.

Rollins has been long overdue for a run with a world title, and the exciting news about him filming for Captain America: New World Order shouldn't change anything, but the same can be said about Styles.

The Phenomenal One has been out of the main event scene for some time and deserves to reign as world champion once more before he calls it a career.

If Styles loses at Night of Champions, he stays on SmackDown, where it's a lot less likely he'll be beating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (let alone contending for it). In fact, this could be it for him as a world title challenger.

Giving Styles the surprise win would be an equally satisfying outcome, if only because Rollins can continue to chase the championship and potentially win it at WrestleMania 40.

Ronda Rousey's Flat Raw Return Demonstrates How Far Her Stock Has Fallen

The WWE women's division revolved around Ronda Rousey when she first walked into the company five years ago until her first sendoff at WrestleMania 35, and understandably so.

The former UFC star still had some mystique from her days in the Octagon and was booked like an attraction right off the bat. She instantly took to pro wrestling and proved to be a natural in almost every way, justifying the vast amount of television time she was receiving.

Unfortunately, Rousey's second stint has largely been a bust for a number of reasons, and the tepid reaction to her latest Raw return last Monday demonstrated that.

Her lack of memorable matches and promos on SmackDown this past year has been astounding, along with how she's been booked to feel like just another athlete on the roster. Perhaps a run on Raw will breathe new life into her character, but it isn't off to the strongest start.

Placing her in the tag team ranks alongside Shayna Baszler might be the best use of her at this point. That isn't to say she can never again rise to singles championship contention, but the fact that fans wouldn't find that interesting or appealing in the slightest is a problem that must be acknowledged and rectified.

AEW Illustrates Strength in Storytelling with Elite Reunion

AEW's build to Double or Nothing coming up this weekend has been disappointing on the whole, but the brilliant storytelling surrounding the reunion of The Elite has been a rewarding recurring highlight leading up to the event.

It's been a few years since all of the group stood united, and to the company's credit, it took its time putting them back together and rushed nothing. Blackpool Combat Club have posed the biggest threat in AEW as of late, and The Elite were forced to join forces to eliminate a common enemy.

It's simple storytelling at its finest, as seen in the segment that closed last Wednesday's Dynamite.

Adam Page and Kenny Omega, in particular, putting their differences aside was an awesome visual and provided the perfect hype for Anarchy in the Arena at Double or Nothing.

The entire angle proves AEW has what it takes to tell compelling stories, especially when the right players are in place. Doing more of that on a consistent basis will inject that much more excitement into the weekly product.

WWE and NXT Women's Tag Team Championships Must Be Merged

There was never a need for WWE to have two sets of women's tag team titles, and now it's more apparent than ever that the championships must be merged in the foreseeable future.

As part of the 2023 WWE draft, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were called up to SmackDown and brought the NXT Tag Team Championship with them. It wasn't explained what would become of the belts, and they've been property of the blue brand since then.

The newcomers have also been seen scouting now-former WWE women's tag team champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez from afar. New titleholders will be crowned next Monday on Raw as a result of the former's recent injury, though the match will not feature Fyre and Dawn.

All roads should lead to the new champs, no matter who they might be, colliding with Fyre and Dawn to determine WWE's undisputed women's tag team champions. NXT has utilized its tag titles well enough in recent years, but having one pair of titleholders who travel across all the brands always made the most sense.

It would be a solid step toward making the championships feel as important as possible.

AEW Collision Can Still Be Successful Without CM Punk

As big of a benefit as it would be to have CM Punk back in the AEW mix from an on-air standpoint, there are still issues that need to be worked out before he can return.

Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk's latest holdup with the company relates to the rehiring of Ace Steel, who was also involved in the infamous All Out backstage brawl. That is reportedly what prevented Punk from being announced as part of Collision at last week's WBD Upfront event.

Collision, which fans have long believed to be Punk's ultimate landing place, should be treated as an equal to Dynamite regardless of whether the two-time AEW world champion will be a part of it or not. The top names featured on the newly released poster for the program are more than capable of carrying it on their own.

The unrelenting drama with Punk shouldn't hinder Collision before it even has a chance to get going. The 44-year-old can be a valuable asset to AEW in a multitude of ways, but he won't be worth the trouble if it continues.

Above all else, it's unfair for it to come at the expense of the rest of the roster. The best-case scenario will see these problems smoothed over soon, but AEW should be prepared to potentially move on without Punk.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.