Samoa Joe has weighed in on the tension between The Elite and CM Punk ahead of the latter’s upcoming return.
Tomorrow night will see the debut of AEW Collision, a new weekly two-hour Saturday night wrestling show airing on TNT, with the main event pitting the returning CM Punk and the AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR against Bullet Club Gold and Samoa Joe.
Ahead of the bout, Samoa Joe spoke to Sports Illustrated, where the current ROH World Television Champion discussed his long-time friendship with Punk that dates back decades. Regarding Punk’s tendency to cause controversy, Joe stated that that’s just something that’s in Punk’s nature, and thus, he’s unsurprised at some of the headlines he’s made since arriving in AEW.
“I understand the nature of the beast. It’s not a beast that’s easily tamed, so color me unsurprised. I don’t lie to myself and think that everybody acts the same way. People have their own interpretations of things. So color me unphased. The guy’s my friend. He’s been my friend for years, and I have a lot of respect for him. But I understand the nature of the beast. I know what to expect.”
-Samoa Joe
Punk has been absent from AEW since September 4th, 2022’s All Out PPV, due to a combination of a triceps injury he sustained in the show’s main event and a suspension he received following his involvement in the infamous ‘Brawl Out’ incident alongside Ace Steel and The Elite.
When asked to share his perspective on the rivalry between Punk and The Elite’s Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks and whether their issues stem from a generation gap, Joe responded by stating that it’s nothing more than an argument between men, and that it’s up to themselves to work it out.
“This isn’t a divide, it’s an argument
-Samoa Joe
between men. All those dudes don’t represent the entire genre of their
generation. They have their own issues
and their own problems. I don’t think it’s
that deep. They’re grown-ass men. They
have disagreements, they can figure it
out or not. That’s between them.”
The debut episode of Collision will eminate from CM Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, from the United Center, and will finally see the former AEW World Champion’s nine month absence from the company come to an end.
Elsewhere on the show, Wardlow is set to defend the TNT Championship against Luchasaurus, whilst Andrade el Idolo is set to return to action against Buddy Matthews of the House of Black.
As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on the rivalry between CM Punk and The Elite as soon as we hear more.
