CM Punk was responsible for major AEW change which impacted all wrestlers before his return to WWE

CM Punk has been named as the person responsible for a major change made at former employers AEW prior to his shock return to WWE.

Former WWE champion Punk has signed a multi-year contract with the company after his surprise appearance at Survivor Series in his hometown of Chicago in November.

'The Best in the World' will now have his first pay-per-view match in a decade when he appears in Saturday's Royal Rumble in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Punk had been away from the wrestling business for seven years and dabbled in UFC before signing with rival promotion AEW in 2021.

Punk was fired in September following a physical altercation with wrestler Jack Perry at the All In event at Wembley Stadium.

Tony Khan, CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative of AEW, confirmed the termination and said the decision was entirely his.

But prior to his departure, Punk is said to have convinced Khan to make a huge alteration to AEW programming.

Image: Getty

The 45-year-old is believed to have received creative control with the new show Collision upon his return to AEW.

And he was able to persuade Khan to get rid of a rankings system which was at the centre of their match-making.

The rankings, similar to UFC's, were related to wins and losses and would justify whether a wrestler warranted a title shot.

The thinking was that the move would give AEW a more sporting feel compared to WWE.

Image: Getty

The rankings were published on the AEW website until they were removed without explanation in September 2022.

A few months back Khan said he was "re-evaluating the system" but according to Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, Punk was the reason it was nixed.

Speaking on the The Bryan and Vinny show, he said: "Do you know whose idea it was to get rid of the rankings? I was told it was CM Punk, he talked Tony into getting rid of the rankings."

AEW have said the rankings will be coming back in 2024, while Punk is now on a mission to finally realise his dream and main event WrestleMania.

Topics: WWE, All Elite Wrestling, Wrestling

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

@joshlawless_