The issues that have prevented Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks from appearing on AEW television might be coming to a close. The Elite has not been seen or heard from since the All Out pay-per-view. They reportedly got into a physical altercation with CM Punk following his incendiary comments during his media availability. This led to suspensions for all parties involved. Even though All Elite Wrestling has not confirmed that, it's one of the worst-kept secrets in the business at this juncture. Meanwhile, Punk continues rehabbing from the injury he sustained while wrestling Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship.
While CM Punk might never appear with the company again, Fightful Select recently gave the following update about Omega and The Young Bucks. "Things are looking up for The Elite... We've learned that for the first time since AEW All Out, there is talk backstage of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks coming back to work, at the very least in a backstage capacity. One source said they heard it could happen 'imminently,' but nobody we heard from could definitively tell us when it's expected." Fightful also noted that "(w)e were told that a meeting was scheduled for last week, but we're in the dark on the context of those" while also indicating that The Elite's timeline to return to TV isn't currently known.
The Elite Are Returning To A Very Different AEW
The backstage climate in All Elite Wrestling has shifted dramatically since the events of All Out. Tony Khan has shuffled his support staff to include more liaisons between himself and talent. Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have also re-signed with AEW and had their official roles expanded. They, along with Bryan Danielson, reportedly make up the company's new group of locker room leaders. That was a role Omega, and The Young Bucks found themselves in the last time they were traveling with their peers, but a lot has changed since September 4.
It's going to be interesting to see how The Elite gels with the ex-WWE guys who now make up AEW's locker room backbone. Punk is likely out of the picture, so that's one less stressor, but reports indicate that morale has been improving since All Out, with some feeling it's been an addition-by-subtraction situation. Khan has also made it clear that no individual is more significant than the company itself and did not hesitate to move on with new trios champions and a fresh AEW World Champion following the implosion at All Out.
Another aspect of The Elite's return worth considering is whether they will work as heels or faces. Public perception of Omega and The Young Bucks has changed since early September, but it's unclear at this point if fans will cheer or boo them upon their return. Punk has largely been cast as the villain of All Out's events, which might clear the way for The Elite to receive a hero's welcome when they pop back up on television. Omega and Don Callis are a heel act, though, while The Young Bucks had pivoted to faces before Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly got injured, and Bobby Fish departed AEW. The Full Gear pay-per-view is scheduled for November 19, and it remains to be seen if The Elite will be involved by that time.
Source: Fightful Select