For as much as AEW wanted to keep their plans under wraps, with Warner Bros. Discovery releasing an official statement denying any involvement with “The Best in the World,” Collison was always going to be the house CM Punk built.

The Saturday night show, built around a collection of “AEW Misfits” who had long been absent from television, had its first show booked for The United Center in Chicago, was booked for two hours weekly, and was set to feature a soft brand split that, to the point, didn't have a clear headliner in the same way MJF has been running Dynamite. Even if AEW didn't make it official, fans sort of thought it was official, so much so that they purchased nearly 7,000 tickets to the June 17th show to celebrate the occasion.

But on the fallout edition of Dyanamite after Double or Nothing, Tony Khan decided to make it official, announcing in the simplest terms that CM Punk will be featured on AEW Collision before kicking it out to a crowd shot featuring a mixture of cheers and boos from the assembled masses in San Diego.

Is this the right call? Will CM Punk's fiery personality put butts in seats in Chicago and at home, or will things take a dark turn like his last run in the promotion? That question has been heavily debated over the past few weeks and will continue to be so into the future long after the first episode of Collision and the re-debut of “The Second City Saint” in his hometown.

Tony Khan wouldn't comment on CM Punk's return at Double or Nothing.

Why is it so surprising to see Khan come out on Dynamite and declare that CM Punk is coming to AEW Collision instead of keeping it a (not-so) secret in order to garner a massive pop on the spot? Well, partially because Khan was asked about his involvement in the Saturday night show during his media availability after Double or Nothing and effectively passed on answering the question in favor of keeping the secret alive.

“I am not prepared to address that question at this time,” Khan responded via Wrestling Inc. “I think that's something a lot of people want to know. As we get closer to the launch of Saturday Night Collision, on June 17, I think more and more things will come into focus about that show. Tickets are on sale for the United Center right now. We're off to a great start with the initial sales, and I think it's only going to get stronger.”

“It could be one of the biggest TV shows of the entire year in terms of revenue, I expect, and also one of the most important TV shows of the year for AEW.”

So why is AEW looking to give CM Punk another push when his last run with the company ended so poorly? Does Khan know something fans don't about his willingness to play ball?

Well, it could have something to do with the promotion's desire to build a “historic” library of content that they can capitalize on when their media rights contract comes up in the not-too-distant future, as the CEO noted in an interview with Variety about all thing AEW and Collision.

“As we build a great library of historical content, it presents more and more opportunities for a potential FAST entry I think,” said Khan. “I think that’s a decision we need to make in part with our domestic media partners, with Warner Bros. Discovery, who have great presence in the world of streaming, and figure out what makes sense for us in terms of our partnership. Because absolutely there is money on the table for streaming pro wrestling events…So there could be great opportunities there. Domestically we’re still looking for the right solution, and it’s a very exciting time for us because the streaming business continues to grow here domestically and frankly, the value of AEW events continues to grow. I believe as the landscape changes we can expand AEW’s streaming revenue multiple times over.”

Will the return of Punk make for good television? Yes, you have to give it to “The Best in the World,” he's a natural showman who innately knows how to get a crowd involved, whether that's by cheering or booing. If the goal of AEW is to build the brand into an unstoppable media juggernaut capable of earning hundreds of millions of dollars from media corporations for their content, which it clearly is, having Punk on posters, television screens, and Pay-Per-Views is a good way to help make that happen.