Behind the scenes at the mega show at Wembley, wrestling superstar CM Punk is dealing himself another suspension. This time there is said to be stink with the boss as well.
Former WWE Champion CM Punk’s triumphant comeback has produced the next real-life beating fiasco – is the resulting rift now even deeper?
New details that have come to light regarding the AEW top star’s suspension following his backstage melee with fellow wrestler Jack Perry give the impression.
Longtime wrestling journalist Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch reports that there was also a violent backstage bust-up between Punk and league boss Tony Khan – and that communication broke down for an extended period afterward. Punk’s suspension was also ultimately communicated to him through his lawyer and not in person.
If the report, which is largely in line with other reports, is true, the current stink about Punk would have a new quality – because Punk has always had a good personal relationship with Khan, despite all the confusion and confusion since his ring return in 2021.
Some at AEW, however, are now under the impression that the relationship is “irreparably” broken – an assessment that should be taken with a grain of salt in view of past experiences, as it has proven to be wrong many times before.
CM Punk vs. Jack Perry: What really happened?
For the record, backstage at the historic mega-show All In in front of over 80,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday, fisticuffs broke out between Punk and Perry – against the backdrop of Perry provoking Punk by saying something into the camera during his match against Hook.
Punk and Perry, who had already argued a few weeks ago, then clashed near the “Gorilla Position”, the control centre of the event, with Punk ultimately putting Perry in a choke/handle. Contradictory accounts circulate on the question of who started what beforehand and how it escalated.
The initially prevailing impression that Perry had continued to provoke behind the scenes has been put into perspective and clarified – among others by fellow wrestler Miro, who called a report that attributed the active part to Perry a “lie” via social media.
Perry and Punk had their matches back-to-back and according to the Torch’s account, the scene at Wembley was set up in such a way that it was clear the two would meet if AEW hadn’t actively prevented it.
Circumstance also surrounding encounters with Tony Khan and Miro
A significant new detail reported by the Torch: Punk and Khan had been feuding before the situation with Perry. Punk is said to have been pissed – as other news sites also report – that he had to travel around London on public transport.
Due to misunderstandable communication, he was apparently under the impression that there would be a pick-up service for him from the airport. However, according to the Torch, there was no such service for him or any of the other stars – something Punk was not aware of.
According to the Torch, Punk called Khan “harsh names” in his dressing room and threatened to leave. The hullabaloo with Perry shortly afterwards will not have improved his mood.
As several media outlets report, there was also a verbal exchange between Punk and Miro (WWE’s former Rusev) afterwards, which left different impressions. The majority of the media report that the two had joked with each other about whether they should now fight as well. Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, on the other hand, reported that “five” people he had spoken to had reported that this anger had been serious as well.
Fellow reporter Sean Ross Sapp (Fightful) mediated between the two positions, pointing out that Punk and Miro were both known as hotheads and for wry humour, and that not everyone would have been able to see what was going on.
Tony Khan brought back CM Punk despite mega-eclat
Last year, AEW was badly rocked by the Punk-started brawling eclat between him and fellow Ligavizes The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) and Kenny Omega.
Khan refrained from the widely expected dismissal of his top star, who had once also been divorced in a dispute in WWE, but in the end drew the consequence of separating the parties to the dispute in terms of time and space: Punk became the centre of the new Saturday show Collision, while “The Elite” remained with Dynamite.
Despite this, things have not quietened down around Punk since his comeback in June. Just recently, a lot of resentment towards Punk broke out as a result of another public jab at Hangman Page, who is friends with the Bucks.
According to Pro Wrestling Insider, Punk has apparently received a five-figure fine for this.
Nonetheless, the next trouble, distracting from the great success of the Wembley show, followed on its heels. But whether it is really big enough to drive Punk and the AEW board apart is questionable: Boss Khan’s business interest in keeping ratings and merchandise driver Punk remains strong. And Punk, in an appearance before the alumni association Cauliflower Alley Club on Friday, again seemed very animated by what he has achieved in wrestling and still wants to achieve.
Where he goes from here is unclear, with the next Collision show in Punk’s native Chicago on Saturday and Pay Per View All Out the following day at the same venue. It has not been announced, but in the case of a quick clarification of the situation, it can change quickly.
