Below are the highlights from The MMA Hour, where WWE Superstar CM Punk discussed his issues in AEW, including his fight with “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry.
– CM Punk revealed that he didn’t leave AEW sooner because Tony Khan persuaded him to stay by promising the launch of a new show (AEW Collision) where Punk would take on a leadership role.
– Before the debut of AEW Collision in 2023, Punk told Khan to his face that All Elite Wrestling isn’t a real business that’s predicated on making money:
“A lot of people are gonna be upset. It’s not a real business. It’s not about selling tickets, it’s not about drawing money, it’s not about making money. It’s about having good matches maybe?”
Punk also took a shot at AEW’s recent attendance figures:
“If you’re more than happy with some goof saying you had a 5 star match & the building is a quarter full… then we’re not in the same business.”
– Punk said he feels AEW is trying to slander him and ruin his reputation. He claimed that Tony Khan is a nice guy, but not a real boss.
– In regards to the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) he entered into, there’s a distinction between what he was legally prohibited from discussing versus what he simply opted not to discuss out of personal choice. In Punk’s situation, he previously chose not to discuss certain matters but has since reconsidered his stance.
– Punk revealed that there are wrestlers in AEW who only perform once a week, and some of them are reluctant even to do that. Their preference is to wrestle, film vignettes, and then be absent for a month.
– Jack Perry was originally never intended to appear on AEW Collision.
– The issue with Jack Perry arose during the second episode of AEW Collision when Tony Schiavone approached CM Punk seeking assistance with Perry, who was upset and cursing at him, a producer, and the medical staff. Perry expressed a desire to smash the windows of a retail car with a pipe. Despite being warned by the doctor about the dangers of breaking real glass, Perry remained defiant.
Punk intervened, informing Perry that such actions wouldn’t be permitted on Collision, with Punk emphasizing that the show belonged to him. He suggested that Perry could carry out his plan on AEW Dynamite instead. Perry reluctantly agreed but later disregarded the warning and repeated the same action he had been cautioned against during AEW’s All In PPV in Wembley Stadium, followed by the remark “it’s real glass, cry me a river”.
Witnessing this, Punk urged Tony Khan to handle Perry, but when Khan failed to act, Punk took matters into his own hands.
Perry came to the back and asked Punk what he’s going to do about it. Punk said he did not punch anyone. He just choked someone a little.
Subsequently, Punk criticized Tony Khan, calling him “a joke” and “a clown”, before quitting the company.
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