AEW Needs A Brand Split — But Not To Accommodate CM Punk
Recent reports from wrestling insiders indicate that AEW's upcoming Saturday night show, rumored to be titled "Collision," will be built around returning star CM Punk, with some form of a roster split accompanying the new show. With the ever-growing size of AEW's roster, that might not be such a bad idea. However, the rumors state that the company's roster will be divided based on who is and isn't willing to work with Punk, so the question must be asked: is this good for AEW?
The answer, in the long run, is almost certainly not. A brand split in AEW can work, but not if the goal is to keep two sides of a divided roster separate from one another. Punk's return could serve as a fresh start for the company, especially if everyone involved with the heavily-rumored backstage issues is able to sort out their differences and at least agree to be around each other. Otherwise? The company is just asking for further conflict down the line.
Benefits of a Brand Split
On its own, a brand split could offer some strong advantages to AEW. One of the most common criticisms of the company is its oversized roster, with lots of worthy talent not finding a consistent place on "AEW Dynamite." Over on Friday nights, "AEW Rampage" can often feel like an afterthought, and a brand split could help reinvigorate the one-hour show. With the addition of two more hours of prime-time programming reportedly starting in June, a roster split will also help more performers serve a valuable role in the company. While the top talents in AEW are always going to find a spot on television, a roster split will help feature more mid-card acts, in turn creating more stars over time — in theory, at least.
It's also undeniable that Punk returning to action would be a strong positive for important AEW metrics. Since he's been off TV, ratings have fallen and public opinion on the upstart promotion has shifted. Punk is a proven commodity, at least partially responsible for AEW's largest pay-per-view buys and some of the strongest "Dynamite" ratings since the show's 2019 debut. However, the former AEW World Champion comes with quite a lot of baggage that needs to be addressed before moving forward.
Drawing Lines in the Sand
While it's been said that locker room morale has increased in recent months, and the show's quality has bounced back in the eyes of most fans, for a time it felt like unnecessary backstage drama had taken center stage in AEW, causing the onscreen product to suffer. Just as it seems the fractures in the AEW locker room have been repaired, is now the right time to split everyone into camps based on their acceptance of Punk? His return will almost certainly buoy ratings and pay-per-view buys, but it could come at the cost of re-dividing the locker room, leading to further long-term issues.
Instead of attempting to smooth things over between all parties, especially those involved in the alleged physical altercation following All Out, the rumored roster split would allow wounds to continue festering, allowing leftover resentment on both sides to continue unresolved. A roster split should be done for creative reasons — ensuring as many wrestlers as possible have something to do, and shaking up the status quo in interesting ways. If the reports are true that AEW President Tony Khan is thinking about splitting up his contracted performers based on backstage disagreements and their willingness to work together, it's a decision that he should strongly reconsider.