AEW Reportedly Denies Ace Steel Re-Hired As Producer, Top Talent Surprised At Reports

On Thursday, Haus of Wrestling reported that AEW had rehired Ace Steel earlier this year as the company was gearing up for CM Punk's return that was going to coincide with the debut of "AEW Collision." However, in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer mentioned several times that Steel's return as a producer was denied to him by multiple sources. There had been rumblings for a few weeks that he returned or was going to return to help produce "Collision," however he was told by people at the top that it was false.

Since being the only person to be fired following Brawl Out, Steel has remained a free agent and was reportedly in talks with Impact Wrestling recently. However, it was reported by other outlets that Tony Khan was allowing Steel to return remotely to work on the creative side. There was a belief at one point that Steel would physically return to be backstage at shows when Punk returned for "Collision," which would likely cause issues with some people. Meltzer noted that some higher-ups in AEW were unaware of the Steel rumor until recently. When some key talent found out within the last couple of weeks, they were shocked.

Looking forward, AEW has announced several "Collision" taping dates except for their June 17 premiere. It has been rumored to be taking place at United Center in Chicago, however the lack of a Punk appearance may affect that. The location will officially be revealed during the May 24 episode of "AEW Dynamite."