Ace Steel has been reportedly released from AEW for a second time.
As reported by PWInsider, Steel was informed that his services were no longer required by the company on September 7th following the firing of CM Punk on September 2nd. No official reason for the firing this time around has been given in the report.
Known for training Punk during the early stages of the future World Champion’s career, Steel would go on to WWE in November 2019 to be a coach in the Performance Center. However, Steel would be furloughed and later lose his job with the company due to budget cuts in January 2022. Joining AEW later that year Khan would reveal that Ace Steel was a part of the company during the Revolution 2022 media scrum. Still close friends with Punk, Steel would appear on camera multiple times to motivate The Second City Saint ahead of his title match at All Out 2022.
In the days following the report of his release, Steel seemed to give some explicit thoughts on the backstage running of the promotion!
Why Was Ace Steel Fired The First Time?
Steel was present during the All Out brawl that took place between CM Punk and The Elite shortly after the post-show press conference, with Steel allegedly biting the arm of Kenny Omega during the fight. While Punk, Omega and The Young Bucks were all suspended and stripped of their titles as a result of the incident, Steel was fired for his actions.
Upon Punk returning to action on the debut episode of Collision, the former World Champion demanded that Steel also be brought back to work as a producer, which reportedly created tension amongst some in the locker room. A compromise was reached where Steel could be brought back but would have to work remotely. It had been reported that Steel being present in arenas would be an insurance risk.