Tag: CM Punk

CM Punk & Tony Khan Involved In Heated Exchange At AEW All In 2023

We have even more details on what went down before Sunday’s AEW All In 2023 pay-per-view event went on the air, including potential issues between Tony Khan and CM Punk.

According to a report from Wade Keller of PWTorch, CM Punk was already said to have been pissed off about not being picked up at the airport by anyone associated with AEW. Instead, he took a train to his hotel and got lost along the way. It’s worth noting that Punk wasn’t aware at the time that no one from AEW was picked up at the airport due to travel issues and shuttles not being available. So he wasn’t being singled out.

The report notes that Punk reportedly approached Tony Khan in front of other people in his locker room. Punk came at the AEW President in a “heated, intense manner” and “chewed out Khan with harsh phrasing.”

CM Punk almost didn’t come out for his match with Samoa Joe to start the show after his backstage fight with Jack Perry. Joe was reportedly furious about the situation and had to convince Punk to go out to the ring. While Joe was able to calm Punk down enough that he would agree to continue on with the match, both men were not happy about what had just unfolded. It is said that as of Tuesday morning, CM Punk and Tony Khan had not spoken.

Both CM Punk and Jack Perry are suspended from AEW, with Punk being informed of his suspension through his lawyer. One source said CM Punk appeared to be saying “goodbye” while in the ring and walking to the back just after his match with Joe. There are some rumors that the relationship between CM Punk, Tony Khan, and AEW is beyond repair at this point.

CM Punk and Jack Perry will not be wrestling at All Out 2023 in Chicago, IL on Sunday unless the suspensions are lifted. Of course, Punk is a big draw in his hometown of Chicago.

Finally, it was added that CM Punk has been fined for previous incidents. One source said that Punk was fined in the “five figure range” for his off-air comments about “Hangman” Adam Page following a recent episode of AEW Collision.

On Tuesday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez confirmed what was already known from several weeks ago, which is that Jack Perry wanted to use real glass for a segment on AEW Collision. This is something CM Punk refused to allow on “his brand” and told Perry that if he had a problem with it, he could go work on Wednesdays.

While CM Punk’s side put out a story about Jack Perry wanting to do the spot so he could get “cut” and avoid working the following week, Perry had a pre-planned vacation.

While the glass spot involving a limo on the “Zero Hour” pre-show at AEW All In 2023 was approved, Jack Perry’s comments during the match were not. Alvarez said,

“The issue from the Jungle Boy side was the belief that ‘I got this okayed, it was cleared with the company and then this guy didn’t let me do it.’ He felt ‘he’s not letting me do it because I’m friends with The Young Bucks.’ That was what was in his mind, apparently.”

As far as CM Punk’s All In 2023 travel issues are concerned, Alvarez said,

“I have heard two versions of this story. One version is that CM Punk arrived, nobody was there, he couldn’t get a hold of anybody and so he decided that he was going to take the train. The other version I heard is that when he arrived there was nobody there but he did get a hold of people and he offered or they asked if he wanted to take the train. But that he was fine with taking the train. That’s the other story that I heard…”

He continued, “The question that everybody’s asking, why did this guy not take an Uber or a cab? When we were there, there were two occasions when we were in the UK where it was impossible to get an Uber. We opened up the app and it was ‘no drivers available.’ Maybe that happened to CM Punk, I don’t know…it is possible that he could not get an Uber.”

Alvarez also provided details on what happened after Jack Perry’s match with HOOK on the AEW All In 2023 “Zero Hour” pre-show. He stated,

“Jack goes through the curtain…He goes through the glass and they’re working on his cuts. This was shortly before the show was supposed to go on the air. CM Punk walks by and he says ‘do you have a problem with me?’ Jack Perry says something to the effect of ‘well, you heard what I said out there.’”

This led to Perry telling Punk that if he had a problem with what he said, he should do something about it. This led to pushes being exchanged, ending with Punk putting Perry in a choke. Samoa Joe broke things up.

AEW President Tony Khan reportedly witnessed the fight, and there are reports that it happened so close to him that several monitors were knocked onto him. Alvarez stated,

“CM Punk, according to several people said something to the effect of, ‘you know I can beat your ass, right?’ Then there was an incident. It was very quick…Pretty much 100 percent (of the witnesses said) Punk made the comment and either shoved of pie-faced Jungle Boy, grabbed him in the guillotine front headlock and it was immediately broken up. Samoa Joe was right there, everybody was right there. Nobody got their ass kicked, there was nothing like that.”

He continued, “They got close enough to Tony Khan that I believe monitors were knocked down onto Tony Khan. He was right there and he saw everything and a lot of people were right there and they saw everything.”

“Several people said he [CM Punk] threatened to quit and he didn’t want to go out for the match…I believe they went to FTR and The Young Bucks and they were like, ‘can you guys open the show?’ and the response was, ‘we’re not ready to open the show.’ Then they went to the six-man with Kenny and Hangman and all those guys and they were like, ‘can you open the show?’ and they were like, ‘I guess we can’ and so they were getting ready to go out. I was told that Joe was furious. He’s at Wembley, there’s 80,000 people there and he’s about to go out and apparently, he talked Punk into doing the match.”

Source: eWn

Jack Perry & CM Punk Are Suspended From AEW

CM Punk and Jack Perry have been suspended from All Elite Wrestling, Sports Illustrated has confirmed.

Punk and Perry had a physical altercation at last weekend’s AEW All In event and neither man attended the post-All In afterparty.

Perry made a reference to using real glass during his Zero Hour with Hook, in a nod to Punk taking issue with him wanting to use real glass for a segment on AEW Collision.

The two men reportedly pushed each other backstage before Punk used a chokehold, while Punk’s All In opponent Samoa Joe tried to mediate the situation.

Following All In, it was reported that there was a belief among talent that both men had been suspended, pending an investigation into the matter.

Sports Illustrated has since confirmed this report, stating,

CM Punk and Jack Perry have both been suspended for an altercation before the start of the All In pay-per-view, Sports Illustrated has confirmed.

Bryan Alvarez has also reported that both men have been suspended and will face an investigation into what transpired in Wembley.

Source: eWn

Major Backstage Update On The CM Punk-Jack Perry Fight

As you all know by now, CM Punk and Jack Perry were involved in a physical confrontation at Sunday’s AEW All In 2023 pay-per-view event.

According to a report from PW Torch, CM Punk was threatening to quit All Elite Wrestling in the “heat of the moment.” Punk was said to have been incredibly frustrated backstage after the incident and was fiercely defending himself.

Multiple sources say CM Punk has made it crystal clear that he wants a drama-free locker room environment, which is something he has largely achieved on AEW Collision due to the fact that there’s a lot of people he likes working on the brand. Of course, there have been a few exceptions. It’s become abundantly clear that Punk controls the Collision locker-room and is able to put restrictions on who is and isn’t allowed to be in it.

The report notes that several people on the AEW production team were notified at the last minute that they may have to change the match order of All In 2023 because of the incident. Of course, CM Punk and Samoa Joe kicked off the show and the incident came just minutes beforehand. There was brief concern that there’d have to be a delay in the start of the show as they scrambled to get the graphics ready for a different match. It was said that Punk was quickly able to regroup and the match went on as scheduled.

As far as the altercation itself is concerned, it is said that CM Punk was watching the Jack Perry vs. HOOK “Zero Hour” kickoff match on a monitor backstage. So clearly, he heard Perry’s comments about the limo windshield being “real glass.” Punk reportedly asked Perry if there was a problem when he came through the curtain. Perry told Punk that he started something online a few weeks ago and if he had a problem with what he said on camera, he should “do something about it.” This led to a shoving match between both men and an eventual choke by CM Punk. There are conflicting reports as to whether a punch was thrown.

The belief is that the online incident Perry was referring to has to do with Punk’s camp purposely leaking the glass incident story to make Perry look bad. As we previously reported here on eWn, the two men got into a verbal altercation after Punk told Perry that’s not something they do on the Collision brand and if he had a problem with it, he could go back and work Wednesdays. Sources from CM Punk’s side say he was simply providing “veteran wisdom” to steer him away from that type of violence.

Perry reportedly believes that the story being leaked was done by CM Punk and his camp to “show him up or embarrass him.” This is the reason why he used the “Zero Hour” pre-show to “fire back” with some unscripted and unapproved comments.

One veteran wrestler stated that AEW President Tony Khan has no control and has fostered an environment where younger wrestlers feel that they are free to “go into business for themselves.” Another veteran wrestler says Punk overreacted here and should have let it go.

At this point, most of the blame for this latest incident is being placed on Jack Perry, although there are others who feel otherwise because they’re close to CM Punk. But overall, it was said that Jack Perry knew exactly what he was going to get himself into with his unscripted comments.

Many people in AEW are upset over the incident and believe everyone should have been talking about what they accomplished with All In 2023.

Finally, there is an internal investigation underway and both men are reportedly suspended from All Elite Wrestling for the time being. Most believe Perry will face more ramifications than Punk.

Source: eWn

CM Punk Reportedly Escorted To His Locker Room By Security Following AEW All In Match, Jack Perry Was Ordered To Leave

Before CM Punk’s match against Samoa Joe at the All In pay-per-view, Punk and Jack Perry got into an altercation. According to the latest reports, there was allegedly shoving between the two, and Punk had either punched or tried to choke out Perry. The newest episode of the “Wrestling Observer Radio” podcast has given more insight into what happened to Punk after he defeated Joe and went backstage.

“He [CM Punk] goes to the backstage area and immediately there is security there and security escorts CM Punk back to his dressing room,” said Bryan Alvarez. “Jack Perry was then told to leave and he was removed from the building [Wembley Stadium]. CM Punk stayed in his dressing room with security, for I’m not sure how long, but eventually security came and removed him from the building.”

According to a report from Pwinsider, Jack Perry was told to leave the AEW All In 2023 pay-per-view event following his backstage altercation with CM Punk.

CM Punk has remained backstage at the show. Perry was escorted out of Wembley Stadium by security.

Additionally, it is believed that Perry struck first in the altercation and instigated things. Multiple sources have now confirmed that Perry was “caught in a choke.”

During the post-media scrum, AEW CEO Tony Khan acknowledged the altercation and stated there was an ongoing investigation. However, Khan said he would not comment further on the matter.

Punk faced Samoa Joe in the opening match of the All In show, defeating the ROH World Television Champion, while Perry lost the FTW Championship to Hook.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

“Top Name” Left AEW Dynamite In Bad Mood – Punk/Elite Situation Is A “Ticking Time Bomb” (Report)

One of the top stars in AEW was in a foul mood following this week’s episode of Dynamite which saw CM Punk appear on the broadcast.

Punk made his first appearance on Dynamite in months this week and earned an electric response from the crowd in his native Chicago.

When a deal was reached to bring Punk back to TV, it was believed that Punk would keep to AEW Collision while the Elite would remain fixtures of Dynamite.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that one “top name” of AEW was in a bad mood following this week’s Dynamite.

That top name, who was not named in the report, described the atmosphere within AEW due to the Punk-Elite situation as a potential “ticking time bomb.”

Source: eWn

CM Punk Rumored To Be At This Week’s AEW Dynamite, Not The Elite

After making his return to the ring on Saturday night, CM Punk is now rumored to show up again this Wednesday on “AEW Dynamite,” per Fightful Select.

Punk turning up on Wednesday is not officially announced, but as of this past weekend those close to Punk had claimed he was planned to be part of the June 21 show, which also happens to be in Chicago. However, his possible appearance seems to mean that The Elite will not be present, as they’re not expected to be in Chicago later this week, which was also the case this past Saturday. 

“AEW Dynamite” takes place at the Wintrust Arena on Wednesday, but Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks have reportedly already done pre-tapes to ensure that they’re still part of the show without being in the arena physically. This will allow their angles to continue progressing with the trio currently feuding against Blackpool Combat Club while Omega has issues with Konosuke Takeshita and Will Ospreay as well. 

It has previously been reported that Punk and The Elite will be getting kept separate following their long-standing issues following the infamous ‘Brawl Out’ situation. There have been conflicting claims regarding a brand split, but it appears that Punk could end up floating between both shows, even though he is being pushed as the face of “Collision.” WBD officials have been expecting Punk to be part of “AEW Dynamite,” which could be why he is turning up. 

During his promo segment on Collision, Punk took a not-so-subtle shot at The Young Bucks by saying that Warner Bros. Discovery President David Zaslav nicknamed him “one bill Phil,” due to the fact that he was authentic and draws money, unlike some “counterfeit bucks.” Punk seemed to give a mock apology by saying he is a “money maker” who isn’t “soft.” Punk said the money he makes isn’t “counterfeit bucks.”

Punk referred to the fact he never officially lost the AEW World Championship during his return promo on “Collision,” referencing current champion MJF in the process. Therefore that could be part of his appearance, meanwhile, AEW could look to set up a match for him at the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event, with a dream match against KENTA being something that fans have speculated about.

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and eWn

Tony Khan Confirms CM Punk Return For AEW Collision Debut

Tony Khan took to the TBS airwaves during Wednesday night’s “Dynamite” to announce that former AEW World Champion CM Punk will indeed be featured on the “Collision” debut on June 17 at the United Center in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The announcement was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the live crowd in San Diego, California.

Tony Khan Confirms CM Punk Return For AEW Collision Debut
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
BY ROSS W BERMAN IV/UPDATED: MAY 31, 2023 9:19 PM EST
With “AEW Collision” on the horizon, one question has lingered in the minds of AEW fans, when will CM Punk return to the company?

Tony Khan took to the TBS airwaves during Wednesday night’s “Dynamite” to announce that the former AEW World Champion will be featured on the “Collision” debut on June 17 at the United Center in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The announcement was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the live crowd in San Diego, California.

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Wrestling’s Secret Signals Explained (And Why This One’s Alarming)
Punk had long been rumored as returning to the company, with his difficulties with some members of the locker room creating the necessity for “Collision” and what is rumored to be a roster split for AEW. Khan had been tight-lipped about Punk’s possible return, even as he continued to tout the “Collision” premiere. The announcement that the show would take place in Chicago’s United Center, the location of Punk’s AEW debut, further fed the speculation that Punk would be returning to action.

“AEW Collision” will air on Saturday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and run two hours, making it the second major show for AEW behind its flagship program “Dynamite.”

Punk has not been on AEW programming since his infamous tirade after AEW All Out in September of last year that led to a backstage brawl between Punk, Kenny Omega, Matt and Nick Jackson, Punk’s friend and trainer Ace Steel, members of the AEW talent relations staff, and Punk’s dog Larry. Omega recently downplayed rumors of animosity, seemingly making light of the situation during his feud with the Blackpool Combat Club. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NDAs & Other Legal Things Taken Care Of Ahead Of CM Punk’s AEW Return

After All Elite Wrestling and CM Punk put their differences aside, he is scheduled to make his return to AEW on the debut episode of Collision on Saturday, June 17 in Chicago.

Last week it was reported that Punk was at odds with AEW, leading to him being pulled from the Collision promotional material due to a miscommunication over Ace Steel, who was part of the All Out 2022 brawl, being brought back as Punk was upset that Steel could not physically be at the TV tapings and would have had to work remotely.

Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio today that AEW had to take care of legal things and NDAs before Punk could return.

Source: eWn

Big Backstage Update On CM Punk & AEW

We have some new updates pertaining to the ongoing situation between CM Punk and All Elite Wrestling.

In recent months, both AEW and CM Punk have been in talks about continuing to work together. While a verbal agreement had reportedly been reached, there was an issue that arose last week over the fact that while Ace Steel would be able to work for AEW again, he would not be allowed to attend the live TV tapings for Collision. This didn’t sit well with CM Punk.

According to a report from Fightful Select, AEW and CM Punk have continued their talks over the past week. The conversations were said to have been “productive” and the feeling is that he’ll be appearing on AEW Collision on June 17.

While there were rumors that CM Punk was recently served with legal papers, it has been confirmed that several documents were sent to Punk to be signed over the last week. The legal papers reportedly involve certain subjects, disparagement clauses, and to make sure that Punk makes all of his scheduled TV dates. While not confirmed, it doesn’t appear the papers were legal “threats.” They simply protect AEW in the event that any issues come up moving forward.

As far as the location for the debut episode of AEW Collision is concerned, the United Center in Chicago, IL was still being discussed as of last week. It was noted that while Daily’s Place has been discussed as a backup location, there are other places besides the United Center and Daily’s Place being talked about.

As of this writing, the talent who will be working the debut episode of AEW Collision have not been given their travel itineraries.

Source: eWn

The First AEW Collision Taping Location Will Depend On CM Punk’s Status

AEW Collision will be premiering on June 17 on the TNT Network.

While AEW President Tony Khan announced five upcoming TV taping locations for the new show on last week’s episode of Dynamite, he failed to mention the venue and location for the debut episode on June 17th. That announcement will be coming next week instead.

While the original plan was to hold the taping at the United Center in Chicago, IL, it’s all going to depend on whether the company can agree to terms with CM Punk on a return. If a deal can’t be reached, there is talk of having the first episode of the show airing elsewhere. The company would likely run a smaller venue and it may not be in the Chicago market. This is due to some concern that the fans would “hijack” the show as they’d expect CM Punk to show up whether he’s advertised or not.

For those wondering, Punk and AEW have both been in contact since he was pulled from the Collision announcement. Those talks are ongoing and the hope is that something will be worked out soon.

Source: eWn