Tony Khan Can't Commit To Having An Answer On CM Punk By Sunday's AEW All Out

What should be a sunny victory lap for All Elite Wrestling has quickly become soaked in rain and startled by the bluster of thunderheads in the distance. A large question mark looms over the coming All Out pay-per-view. Will "Real World Champion" CM Punk appear before his hometown crowd at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday or not?

Tony Khan seemingly doesn't have an answer to that question at present. When asked by Wrestlenomics' Brandon Thurston on Thursday's All Out media call about the possibility that Punk would be at the PPV event, Khan stated that Punk's presence, as well as Jack Perry's, would only be allowed at the United Center if the current internal investigation into their physical backstage altercation at All In on August 27 has concluded. The AEW President was not optimistic about wrapping up the investigation in time for the September 3 event, calling it a "challenging situation." Punk and Perry are both suspended pending the results of the investigation.

It is believed that Punk was originally supposed to face Ricky Starks for the "Real World Championship" in the main event of All Out, but it now appears Starks will instead be challenging WWE Hall of Famer Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat to a strap match at the event during this Saturday's "AEW Collision," in hopes of getting revenge for his storyline suspension following his attack on Steamboat after Starks' previous "Real World Title" match against Punk. The former FTW Champion's 28-day storyline suspension is set to end on Saturday.