Report: Warner Bros Discovery knows CM Punk is returning, AEW knows who his first feud is with

Over the weekend, Andrew Zarian offered an update on AEW’s plans for a Saturday show — one that would premiere in June and feature a returning CM Punk as part of a brand split designed to work around tensions between Punk and other members of the roster like The Elite & Jon Moxley.

That update came on his own Mat Men podcast. Zarian was then a Wrestling Observer Live guest on Sunday (April 16), and provided more details about not only Punk’s return, the Saturday show, and the brand split, but also the current storyline plans for our latest Summer of Punk.

For starters, all involved are confident enough that Punk’s return is a done deal that Tony Khan’s partners at Warner Bros Discover have been informed:

“I know for a fact that Warner has been told he’s coming back. They are very much aware of the situation. He had recently said he is willing to return to AEW and he wants to make it work.”

The previously reported meeting that’s planned between Khan, Punk, FTR, and Chris Jericho was discussed on WOL. It seems there could be more to that than just clearing the air, however. Zarian’s sources tell him that Punk will be working with Jericho when he returns, and he explained why that would send the right message to the roster:

“I‘ve heard this from multiple people and the way it was alluded to me is that the program will probably be Punk and Jericho in some capacity. I don’t know if FTR is involved or Jericho’s Society’s involved but you know what? That’s a very smart way to do this. Jericho has presented himself as a locker room leader, Jericho came out and said he’s toxic or whatever he said, and he’s willing to make this work because he realizes that there’s money in this.”

As for that other big money feud FTR’s Dax Harwood has been pitching? Zarian’s hearing we shouldn’t hold our breath:

“So, the issue here is that [Punk]’s willing to work with The Elite members, I know as of the time I was told, and as of early this week, there was no intention on the other side, maybe Kenny a little bit more than the Bucks but I know they do not want to work with him. There’s been no dialogue between the two sides either regarding sitting down and making this work.”

Which is why the Wednesday/Saturday roster split could be more set in stone than Zarian initially believed:

“The plans have been put in place to possibly have a tentative Saturday show to be the ‘soft’ brand split. When I used that term yesterday on Mat Men, I was told that it’s less soft than I’m putting out there. I guess there will be people that are predominantly on the other show, on the Saturday show.”

Interested in Punk & Jericho revisiting their 2012 WWE feud? Think AEW has a deep enough roster to support a split roster?