Tony Khan Has Reportedly Put CM Punk 'On Ice'

Much like his beloved Chicago Blackhawks, CM Punk is reportedly "on ice."

CM Punk's future in All Elite Wrestling has been stuck in limbo following his infamous post-All Out media scrum and the subsequent backstage fracas that resulted in September. Now, it appears that the former AEW World Champion remains trapped essentially nowhere, per the discretion of AEW President Tony Khan. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Khan reportedly holds "no ideas to use" Punk in any capacity but also hasn't released him from the company either. Any potential plans to utilize Punk would've likely been stalled anyways, as the 44-year-old had been recovering from a prior foot injury and a torn left tricep he sustained at All Out. 

Rumblings of a contract buyout surfaced months ago, accompanied by speculation about a potential WWE return. Discussions about a non-compete clause seemed to hamper negotiations, even as Punk was said to be "ready and willing" to move on and likely to square away those talks. 

Yet, as any settlement between Punk and AEW has seemingly been tabled for the time being, business as usual was resumed with The Elite — the other involved party post-All Out — returning to AEW programming in November. Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks made their official comeback at Full Gear in November and have stayed a regular part of the show since, even reclaiming the AEW World Trios Championship that was stripped from them as a result of the September incident along the way.

CM Punk, on the other hand, has maintained a relatively low profile, with his first public appearance coming two months later at Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC). There, he served as a color commentator for the CFFC 114 event.