Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on CM Punk, Bray Wyatt and More

CM Punk's return to All Elite Wrestling was one of the most controversial moments of 2023, especially given the way in which his absence from the company came about. Now that he has returned, though, how has the former two-time AEW World champion fit in behind the scenes?

That topic headlines a collection of wrestling rumors and innuendo that also includes an update on the whereabouts of Bray Wyatt and the latest on the backstage confrontation that occurred after Raw went off the air Monday evening.

Latest on CM Punk's Backstage Reputation Amid Return to AEW

Wade Keller of PWTorch.com reported that "CM Punk is showing good leadership backstage so far at Collision and seems to be taking seriously his role as a locker room leader."

He continued, "The word from backstage at Collision is that he is taking seriously that this is "his show" and he's taking pride in putting his stamp on the on-air product and off-air vibe in the locker room."

Punk returned to AEW on the debut episode of Collision on June 17 after a months-long absence stemming from both a torn triceps suffered at All Out on September 4, 2022, and the post-show brawl that occurred following a heated media scrum starring the Chicago native.

Punk has very much been presented as the star of the Collision "brand" and it makes sense that he would be working hard to carry the show in front of and behind the camera. Thus far, he has turned in some quality performances in both tag team action and as part of the Owen Hart Memorial Men's Tournament.

Punk will face Ricky Starks in the finals of that tournament Saturday night.

AEW has worked to differentiate Collision from Dynamite and thus far, has done so, presenting a show that is more focused on telling ring-based stories rather than relying on an abundance of backstage vignettes and pre-tapes to set up matches.

It remains to be seen how well Punk continues to integrate himself back into the locker room as he attempts to win over any doubters that may exist but thus far, it appears as though things are going swimmingly.

Or, at the very least, as well as they possibly can given the temperature of the proverbial room at this time.

Frustration Boils Over At Raw?

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that a backstage argument between participants in the main event of Raw pitting World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens against The Judgment Day's Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest broke out following the conclusion of Monday's show.

The exact parties in the argument are unknown but the dispute stemmed from, "how the match went as there were apparently some spots that didn't go as initially planned and were "clunky" with two sources placing the blame on the fact that aspects of the match were changed "at the last literal second" and one source placing the blame on one talent who they didn't want to name to "not make the Internet go insane."

A follow-up report stated, "The source noted that with the company's business on fire, everyone is especially "sensitive" to making sure that they do their part to keep it going and that's going to lead to the butting of heads over the right cause of action for a segment/match, especially with some many hot acts at the same time."

It is not believed that there will be any long-term issues between the participants and that a "reworking of plans" to "the second ring entrances were happening" may have caused things to not run as smoothly as they could have.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select corroborated the report and added, "Sources close to the situation say there was a talk that was more of a difference of opinion than anything else. We're told Kevin Owens actually left almost immediately following the match, as he had prior obligations. Rollins got cracked pretty hard during the match, but haven't heard anything else out of the ordinary aside from frustration over how the match went."

Pro wrestling is a physical art form and sometimes, things do not go according to plan. It is a live, fly-by-your-seat profession things happen that flare some tempers. That appears to have been the case Monday night.

There is likely little to this and confrontations such as the one that unfolded Monday night likely happen far more than fans are ever alerted to.

With that said it would be interesting to know if the "reworking of plans" was related to the performers themselves going back over spots or if it came from elsewhere. If the option is B, the frustration of the creative changes may have only exacerbated the frustration everyone felt long before plans in the ring did not go accordingly.

Latest on Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt remains uncleared to compete according to Sapp.

Furthermore, any creative plans for the former WWE and Universal champion have been placed on the back burner for the time being due to "the unpredictable nature of getting Wyatt cleared.

Wyatt remains out of action due to an illness that has plagued him since prior to WrestleMania 39, where he was originally slated to battle Bobby Lashley.

It is disappointing for Wyatt that he has faced the setback that he has, but it may also be a blessing in disguise.

His character, despite returning with incredible momentum and fanfare last October, was again bogged down by messy creative. Despite being the bigger star, his early 2023 feud with LA Knight ultimately made a bigger star out of the heel than the central character, and the implementation of the Uncle Howdy persona only bogged the narrative down.

The company and Wyatt leaning way too far into the theatricality of the character and an uneven narrative only hurt things more.

No one would ever wish an illness of this length on anyone. If there is a proverbial silver lining, it is that it has afforded all involved an opportunity to step back and figure out what the best direction to take Wyatt is at this point.

Speaking with Allistair McGeorge of The Metro, The Undertaker was vocal in his belief that Wyatt's success will ultimately come in the form of the original incarnation of the character, which was introduced to fans as the leader of the cultlike Wyatt Family.

"I think the original Wyatt Family Bray, that's the money," he said. "I got to work with Bray at 'Mania the year after I got concussed in the Brock match. I worked with Bray – I think a lot of him, and I like what he's doing. I think they just have to figure out how to…they need to back it up I think."

It remains to be seen what the Wyatt character looks like when he returns to television but one can only hope the third-generation performer is happy and healthy when he does re-emerge from the sidelines.