Backstage news on Colt Cabana being off AEW TV

A new report notes that Colt Cabana’s AEW status may be impacted by CM Punk.

Cabana has not worked AEW programming in a while now, and word now, via the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, is that this absence may be in some form related to his issues with former best friend CM Punk.

It was noted that Cabana is earmarked for the new ROH group, if and when that starts. He was signed to a new AEW contract, which was pushed by AEW Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks, and he worked ROH Supercard of Honor XV, but he has not been at any of the AEW tapings since he signed the new contract.

Cabana did defeat Blake Christian at the ROH Supercard of Honor XV event on April 1, which was Tony Khan’s first ROH show as boss, but he has not worked for AEW since teaming with Alan “5” Angels for a loss to The Butcher and The Blade on AEW Dark in early March. Cabana has not wrestled on Dynamite since his loss to Bryan Danielson on the Thanksgiving edition of Dynamite back in November.

Punk and Cabana were best friends for years until fallout from the infamous Art of Wrestling podcast that detailed Punk’s WWE departure in November 2014. WWE doctor Chris Amann filed a lawsuit against host Cabana and his guest Punk, for comments made during that podcast, but the case ended up going to trial and ruling in favor of Punk and Cabana. However, Cabana filed a lawsuit against Punk in August 2018, alleging breach of contract and fraud due to Punk’s refusal to pay Cabana’s legal fees from the Amann lawsuit, after allegedly agreeing to pay them. Cabana asked for more than $1.2 million in damages, while Punk filed a counter-suit for more than $600,000. Both lawsuits were settled and dismissed in September 2019, and it was reported then that the settlement involved no financial compensation.

Cabana signed his first AEW contract in February 2020 after working several dates starting in 2019. He eventually became a member of The Dark Order.

Punk has been with AEW since August 2021. He will challenge AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page at Sunday’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view.